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Applications of electrostatics
■ Electrostatics is used in electrostatic crop spraying, electrostatic paint spraying, dust
extraction, photocopiers and laser printers.
■ Charging by friction can create problems, but there are ways to reduce the effects.
Kirchhoff's laws
■ Kirchhoff's first law states that the sum of the currents flowing into any point in a circuit is
equal to the sum of the currents flowing out of that point.
■ Kirchhoff's first law is based on the conservation of charge.
■ Kirchhoff's second law states that the algebraic sum of the e.m.f. around any loop in a circuit is
equal to the algebraic sum of the p.d.s around the loop.
■ Kirchhoff's second law is based on the conservation of energy.
Potential dividers
■ A potential divider can be used as a source of fixed or variable potential difference.
The Wheatstone bridge
■ A Wheatstone bridge is used to determine the value of an unknown resistance.
■ A potentiometer is a device used to measure an unknown e.m.f. or a potential difference.
■ A potentiometer can be used to compare two e.m.f.s and compare two resistances.
Electric fields
■ An electric field is a region around a charged body where a force is experienced.
■ The electric field strength E at a point in an electric field is the force acting per unit positive
charge.
■ Coulomb's law states the force between charges is proportional to the product of their charges
and is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Capacitance
■ A capacitor is a device that stores electric charge.
■ The capacitance of a capacitor is the charge stored per unit voltage.
■ A capacitor has a capacitance of 1 farad if the charge stored is 1 coulomb when a potential
difference of 1 volt is applied across it.
■ The capacitance of a capacitor depends on the cross-sectional area of the plates, the separation
of the plates and the material used as the dielectric.
difference.
■ A discharging curve is of the form x = x e^(-t/CR) where x represents charge or potential
0
difference.
■ The time constant of a CR circuit is t = CR.
■ The time constant r of a circuit is the time taken for the charge on a capacitor to fall to 1/e
(0.368) of its initial value.
Magnetic fields
■ A magnetic field can be produced by permanent magnets or current-carrying conductors.
■ The region around a magnet where a magnetic force is experienced is called a magnetic field.
■ Magnetic field lines are referred to as magnetic flux.
■ The direction of the field line at a point in the field is the direction of the force on a north pole
placed at that point.
■ The field around a long straight wire is represented as concentric circles.
■ The right-hand grip rule is used to determine the direction of a magnetic field.
Force on a current-carrying conductor
■ A current-carrying conductor may experience a force when placed in a magnetic field.
■ Fleming’s left hand rule is used to predict the direction of the force.
■ Magnetic flux density is numerically equal to the force per unit length on a straight conductor
carrying unit current normal to the field.
■ 1 tesla is the magnetic flux density of a field producing a force of 1 N per metre on a wire
carrying a current of 1A normal to the field.