ELECTRIC FORCE AND COLOUMB’S LAW

The force of interaction is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely
proportional to the square of their distance of separation. If the two objects are also electrically
charged, then there is another force that exist between them. This is called electric force.
A similar relationship to equation 5.21 for electric force was discovered by the French physicist
Charles Coloumb in the 18th century. Coloumb’s law states that two charged objects exert forces
on each other. The electric force of interaction is proportional to the product of their charges and
inversely proportional to the square of their distance of separation.
𝑞1𝑞2
𝐹𝑒 = 𝑘
𝑑2

Fe = is the electric force

K = is the proportionally constant equal to 9x109 N x m2 / C2,
q1q2 = represent the charges of objects 1 and 2
d = is the distance between them

INDUCED ATTRACTIONS
Suppose a negatively charge rubber rod is brought near a metal ball suspended by a string
insulator. As the rod is brought near the ball, the free electrons within the metal ball are repelled
and will move farther from the rod, leaving the nearer side positive. Since the positive side of the
ball is nearer the negatively charge rod than its negative side, then there is an attraction of the
metal ball to the rod.
The pith ball is an insulator while metal is a conductor of electricity. The electrons in the pith
ball are not free to move. But the electrons can move within the atom or molecule of the pith
ball. The electrons in the atoms and molecules will be repelled and move farther from the rod.
This causes the opposite ends of each atom or molecule to have an induce charge. This atoms
and molecules are said to be electrically polarized. Also, there can be a rearrangement of the
molecules. If the molecules of the material are polar, the molecules will rearranged themselves
such that their positive ends are nearer the negatively charge rubber rod. This makes the nearer
side of the ball more positive. Hence, there is again an attraction of the negatively charge rubber
rod in the neutral pith ball.