PHYSICS

Electrostatic
Lesson#1
ELECTRIC CHARGE
OBJECTIVES

• Recognize the basic properties of electric charge.

• Differentiate between conductors and insulators.
• Distinguish between charging by contact, charging by
induction, and charging by polarization.
 Electric Charge

What is charge?
• basic property of matter (just like, say, mass)
• humans cannot directly sense charge, but some animals can
• we can observe charge indirectly via its effects on matter
• customary symbol: q or Q, unit: [q] = C (Coulomb)

Two kinds of charge: + -

• like charges repel
• unlike charges attract

Law of conservation of charge:

•net amount of charge does not change in any process
(Not on your starting equation sheet, but a fact that you can use any time.)
Charges are quantized (come in units of e= 1.6x10-19 C).

Elementary particles that make up atoms:

• Protons charge +e = +1.6x10-19 C

• Neutrons uncharged

• Electrons charge –e = –1.6x10-19 C

Helium atom
 Electrostatic force

Conductor and Insulator

https://javalab.org/en/conductor_and_insulator_en/
 Electrostatic force

OBJECTIVES

1 2 3

Differentiate Evaluate the

Deduce between factors
Coulomb's The two affecting the
law types of electrostatic
electrostatic force
forces Calculate
 𝒒 1 𝒒2
𝑭 𝑬𝑳𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑹𝑰𝑪 = 𝑲 𝑪
Electric Force 𝒓
2

Factors affecting the electric force

Coulomb’s Law
1. The product of the two charges
Coulomb's law states that the electrical
force between two charged objects is directly 2. The distance between the two charges
proportional to the product of the quantity of
charge on the objects and inversely https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/coulombs-
proportional to the square of the separation law/latest/coulombs-law_en.html
distance between the two charged objects.
Example
Suppose that two point charges, each with a charge
of +1.00 Coulomb are separated by a distance of
r 1.00 meter. Determine the magnitude of the
electrical force of repulsion between them.
q+ q-
 Coulomb’s Law

Force between two-point charges q1 and q2:

• force is vector, directed along connecting line

• magnitude:

r12 is the distance between the charges

 EXAMPLE
In The configuration of charges, as shown in
the figure below, the Coulomb force on each
charge is zero. Determine the ratio of
charges q3 and q2 i.e. .
Now that the ratio of the magnitudes of the charges
is obtained so we must determine its signs.
As you can see in the figure, because the forces F31
and F21 are in the opposite directions (to produce a
zero-net force on q1
So, q2 and q3 must be unlike charges

20cm 10cm

F31 F21 20cm 10cm

𝒒1 𝒒2 𝒒3
F21 = F31
|𝒒 𝟏||𝒒 𝟐| |𝒒𝟏||𝒒 𝟑|
𝑲 𝟐
=𝑲 𝟐
𝟐𝟎 𝟑𝟎
|𝒒 𝟐| |𝒒𝟑| |𝒒 𝟑| 𝟗
= =
𝟒𝟎𝟎 𝟗𝟎𝟎 | 𝟐| 𝟒
𝒒
EXAMPLE EXAMPLE
Two identical charges, separated with For a system of charges shown in the figure find
1Cm.if the force between the two the magnitude of the force on 2nC
charges is 90 N. 2nC
What is the value of each charge
3cm

4nC
4cm - 4nC
EXAMPLE F32
F41
Four-point charges are located on the corners FR FR
of a square as shown in the figure. What is q1 q2
the net Coulomb force on the point x
F21 F12

q1=q q2=q x

x
F34 F43
q4 q3

FR
FR F23
F14
q4=q q3=q
 EXAMPLE
Three charges lie along the x-axis. One positive
charge, q1 = 15 μC, is at x = 2.0 m, and another
positive charge, q2 = 6.0 μC, is at the origin.
At what point on the x-axis must a negative
charge, q3, be placed so that the resultant force
on it is zero?
 FINAL REVISON

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