Electric Charge and Coulomb's Law

Electric Charge
and
Coulomb’s Law
Static Electricity
• Occurs when an object obtains a net

amount of positive and negative electric
charge
Static Electricity
• Electrostatics is the interaction between

electric charges that are at rest.
-
Nucleus
-
-
n + n -
+ + n
n +
n
- +
+ n
- -
Neutral Atom
Number of electrons = Number of protons
Two types of charge:
Positive Charge: A shortage of electrons.
Negative Charge: An excess of electrons.
Conservation of charge – The net charge of a

closed system remains constant.
Electric Forces
Like Charges - Repel
F F
+ +
Unlike Charges - Attract
F F
- +
Coulomb’s Law – Gives the electric force
between two point charges.
q1q2
F k 2 Inverse Square
r Law
k = Coulomb’s Constant = 9.0x109 Nm2/C2

q1 = charge on mass 1
q2 = charge on mass 2
r = the distance between the two charges
The electric force is much stronger than the

gravitational force.
Example 1
Two charges are separated by a distance r and have a force
F on each other. qq
F k 1 2
2
r
F q2 F
q1
r
If r is doubled then F is : ¼ of F
If q1 is doubled then F is : 2F
If q1 and q2 are doubled and r is halved then F is : 16F

Example 2
Two 40 gram masses each with a charge of 3μC are
placed 50cm apart. Compare the gravitational force
between the two masses to the electric force between the
two masses. (Ignore the force of the earth on the two
masses)
3μC 3μC
40g 40g
50cm
m1m2
Fg  G 2
r
(.04)(.04) 13
 6.67  10 11
 4.27 10 N
(0.5) 2
q1q2
FE  k 2
r
6 6
9 (3  10 )(3  10 )
 9.0 10 2
 0.324 N
(0.5)
The electric force is much greater than the
gravitational force
Example 3:
• Two protons are separated by a distance
of 3.8x 10^-10 m in air. (a) Find the
magnitude of the electric force one proton
exerts on the other. Is this force attractive
or repulsive? (6) Find the magnitude at the
gravitational force one proton exerts on
the other. ls this force attractive or
repulsive?
Example 4:
Two small conducting and identical spheres A and B have
charges -25 nC and +15 nC respectively. They are separated
by a distance of 0.02 m. a) What is the magnitude af the
electric force berween the rtwo pheres? Is this force
attractive or repulsive? (b) The spheres are then allowed to
touch each other and then separaced. What is the
magnitude of the force between the rwo spheres? Is this a
repulsive force or an attractive force?
Example 5:
Two particles A and B are released from
rest, having equal chacges of -5x10^-6
Cand initially separated from each other by
0.025 m. The mases of particles A and B are
5.25x10^-6 kg and 3.75x10^-6 kg,
respectively. Find the magnitude of the initial
accelerations of particles A and B.
Example 6:
Two identical metallic spheres are
suspended as bobs of a simple pendulum as
shown in the figure. The spheres come to
equilibeium wben given a charge of
+7.5x10^-9 C, with each stringmaking an
angle 5 degrees ith the vertical. The string is
0.5 m long. Find the electric force berween
the spheres.
Example 3
Three charged objects are placed as shown. Find the net

force on the object with the charge of -4μC.
q1q2
F k
- 5μC r2
45º
(5 106 )(4 106 )
9
F1  9 10  4.5 N
20 2  20 2  28cm (0.20) 2
20cm
(5 10 6 )(4 10 6 )

9
F2  9 10 2
 2.30 N
F1 45º (0.28)
5μC - 4μC
20cm F2
F1 and F2 must be added together as vectors.

F1 2.3cos45≈1.6 - 2.9
45º θ
29º
2.3sin45≈1.6 - 1.6
F2 3.31
F1 = < - 4.5 , 0.0 > Fnet  2.9 2  1.6 2  3.31N

+ F2 = < 1.6 , - 1.6 >   1.6 
1 
  tan    29
Fnet = < - 2.9 , - 1.6 >   2.9 
3.31N at 209º
Example 4 (Balloon Lab)
Two 8 gram, equally charged balls are suspended on earth
as shown in the diagram below. Find the charge on each
ball.
20º
10º 10º
L = 30cm L = 30cm
FE 30sin10º FE
q q
r
r =2(30sin10º)=10.4cm
q1q2 q2
FE  k 2  k 2
r r
Draw a force diagram for one charge and treat as an
equilibrium problem. 
T sin 80  .08
.08
T 
 .081N
T
sin 80
Tsin80º
FE 80º
q
Tcos80º
FE  T cos 80
Fg = .08N q2 
k 2
 (.081 ) cos 80
.104
2 .014
q  (.104) 2
k
q  1.3  10 7 C

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Electric Charge and Coulomb's Law

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Electric Charge

• Occurs when an object obtains a net

• Electrostatics is the interaction between

Positive Charge: A shortage of electrons.

Negative Charge: An excess of electrons.

Conservation of charge – The net charge of a

Like Charges - Repel

Unlike Charges - Attract

k = Coulomb’s Constant = 9.0x109 Nm2/C2

The electric force is much stronger than the

If q1 and q2 are doubled and r is halved then F is : 16F

Three charged objects are placed as shown. Find the net

(5 10 6 )(4 10 6 )

F1 and F2 must be added together as vectors.

F1 = < - 4.5 , 0.0 > Fnet  2.9 2  1.6 2  3.31N

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