J

UITM CAWANGAN PAHANG KAMPUS JENGKA

FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCE

DIPLOMA IN SCIENCE
(AS120)

PHY150
ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM

LAB REPORT
EXPERIMENT 1
COULOMB’S LAW

NAME SITI AISHA QHAIRUNNISSA BINTI ROSLAN

STUDENT ID 2020855836
CLASS AS1203B
LECTURER’S NAME MADAM FAIRUZDZAH BINTI AHMAD LOTHFY
DATE OF SUBMISSION 7/11/2021
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Objectives ..................................................................................................................................................... 3
Procedure...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Part 1 ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Part 2 ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Analysis data and calculation ........................................................................................................................ 6
Part 1 ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Part 2 ......................................................................................................................................................... 8
Discussion.................................................................................................................................................... 10
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 11
References .................................................................................................................................................. 11
Introduction

Coloumb’s law is the electric force between two charges that is proportional to the product of the charges
and inversely proportional to the distance between them. Mathematically, the magnitude of this
electrostatic force FE acting on two charged particles (q1, q2) is expressed as:
𝑞1 𝑞2
𝐹 =𝑘
𝑟2

where k is a constant of proportionality, called Coulomb’s constant, k = 8.99 x 109 N.m2 /C2 . In this
experiment, you are going to verify the Coulomb’s law by using a Coulomb balance. The force is along
the line connecting the charges and is attractive if the charges are opposite and repulsive if they are the
same.

Objectives
- To satisfy Coloumb’s law experimentally.
- To study the parameter that effects the electric force.
- To find experimentally the electric constant,k.
Procedure
Part 1
1. The charges on q1 and q2 has been fixed to 2𝜇 and 4𝜇. The value was recorded in Table 1.
(https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/coulombs-law/latest/coulombs-law_en.html)

2. The distance between the two charges was change as shown in the table 1.

3. The force value for each distance was recorded in Table 1.

4. The value for 𝑟 2 and 1/𝑟 2 was found and recorded in Table 1.

Table 1

q1 = 2𝜇 q2 = 4𝜇
r (cm) 𝑟 2 (𝑚2 ) 1/𝑟 2 (1/𝑚2 ) 𝐹𝐸 (N)
10 0.0100 100.000 7.190
9 0.0081 123.457 8.877
8 0.0064 156.250 11.234
7 0.0049 204.082 14.674
6 0.0036 277.778 19.972
5 0.0025 400.000 28.780
4 0.0016 625.000 44.938
3 0.0009 1111.111 79.889
Part 2
1. The charge q1 and the distance r were fixed and the value was recorded in table 1.
(https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/coulombs-law/latest/coulombs-law_en.html)

2. q1 was controlled and fixed it at 5𝜇 and the distance between the two objects was fixed at 6 cm,
the value was recorded in table 2.

3. The charge of object 2 was changed as shown in the table 2 and the electric force between the two
objects for each q2 was recorded in table 2.
Table 2

q1 = 𝟓𝝁𝑪 r = 6cm

q2 = (𝝁𝑪) 𝑭𝑬 (𝑵)
10 124.827
9 112.344
8 99.862
7 87.379
6 74.896
5 62.414
4 49.931
3 37.448
Analysis data and calculation
Part 1
1. Uses excel software and plot a graph relates 𝑭𝑬 and r. comments on the graph.

From the recorded data, curve graph was obtained. The electric force, FE is decreasing when the radius, r
is increasing, therefore we can assume that the electric force, FE is inversely proportional with radius, r.

2. Uses excel and plot one more graph relates 𝑭𝑬 and 1/r2. Use the graph to find the electric
constant k.
 𝑦 2 − 𝑦1
𝑚=
𝑥 2 − 𝑥1

79.889 − 7.190
𝑚=
1111.111 − 100.00

𝑚 = 0.0719

𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑐

1
𝐹𝐸 = 𝑘𝑞1𝑞2 ( 2 ) + 𝑐
𝑟

𝑚 = 𝑞1𝑞2

𝑚
𝑘=
𝑞1𝑞2

0.0719
𝑘=
(2 𝑋 10−6 )(4 𝑋 10−6 )
𝑘 = 8.99 𝑋 109

3. Calculate the percentage error in k (𝒌𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 = 9.0 ×𝟏𝟎𝟗 𝑵𝒎𝟐 /𝑪𝟐)

|𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 − 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒|

𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 (%) = 𝑋100
𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙

|(8.99 𝑋 109 ) − (9.0 𝑋 109 )|

𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 (%) =
9.0 𝑋 109
= 0.11%
Part 2
1. Uses excel software and plot a graph relates 𝑭𝑬 and q2. comments on the graph.

From the recorded data, linear or straight graph obtained. The electric force is increasing along with the
charge of object 2, q2. Therefore, it is directly proportional graph as when charge of object, q2 was
increasing, the electric force, FE also increasing.

2. Use the graph to find the electric constant k.

𝒚𝟐 − 𝒚𝟏
𝒎=
𝒙𝟐 − 𝒙𝟏

𝟏𝟐𝟒. 𝟖𝟐𝟕 − 𝟑𝟕. 𝟒𝟒𝟖

𝒎=
(𝟏𝟎𝑿𝟏𝟎−𝟔 ) − (𝟑𝑿𝟏𝟎−𝟔 )

𝟖𝟕. 𝟑𝟕𝟗
𝒎=
𝟕. 𝟎𝑿 𝟏𝟎−𝟔
𝒎=

𝒀 = 𝒎𝒙 + 𝒄

𝒌𝒒𝟏𝒒𝟐
𝑭𝑬 = +𝒄
𝒓𝟐

𝒌𝒒𝟏
𝒌=( ) 𝒒𝟐 + 𝒄
𝒓𝟐
 𝒌𝒒𝟏
𝒎=
𝒓𝟐

𝒎𝒓𝟐
𝒌=
𝒒𝟏

(𝟏. 𝟐𝟒𝟖𝑿𝟏𝟎𝟕 )(𝟎. 𝟎𝟔)𝟐

𝒌=
𝟓𝑿𝟏𝟎−𝟔

𝒌 = 𝟖. 𝟗𝟗 𝑿 𝟏𝟎𝟗

3. Calculate the percentage error in k (𝒌𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 = 9.0 ×𝟏𝟎𝟗 𝑵𝒎𝟐 /𝑪𝟐)

|𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 − 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒|

𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 (%) = 𝑋100
𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙

|(8.99 𝑋 109 ) − (9.0 𝑋 109 )|

𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 (%) =
9.0 𝑋 109
= 0.11%
Discussion

Based on the result of the experiment, Coloumb’s law or Coloumb’s inverse-square law, is an experiment
law of physics that quantifies the amount of force between two stationaries, electrically charged particles.
The electric force between charged bodies at rest is conventionally called electrostatic force as Coloumb
force.
From the data of table 1, a curved graph was obtained. The electric force, FE is decreasing when the
radius, r is increasing, this is because the charges are repelling each other since the two charges has been
fixed to 2𝜇 and 4𝜇.The two charges are positive and repelling towards each other. Therefore, we can
assume that the electric force, FE is inversely proportional with radius, r. However, the electric force will
increase as the distance between each sphere is 1/𝑟 2 . A linear or a straight-line graph was obtained and
are directly proportional graph. The charges will attract with each other as there are attraction force.
From the data of table 2, linear or straight graph obtained. The electric force is increasing along with the
charge of object 2, q2. Therefore, it is directly proportional graph as when charge of object, q2 was
increasing, the electric force, FE also increasing. This is because, when the charge is greater, the force
which is electric charges will exert greater charge too. For example, when the charges change from 3μC
to 10 μC, the electric charges also increase from 37.448 N to 124.827 N.
There are errors during the experiment, the type of error is random error. It is due to environment which
can affect the electric force, the charge on object and the distance value. The precaution that needs to be
done is to repeat the experiment to find the average data value to be precise. However, the error
percentage of electric constant in part 1 and 2 are both 0.11% which is acceptable where the theoretical
value is 9.0 × 109 while the experimentally value is 8.99 ×109 . The value is less than 1% which proving
that this experiment satisfies the Coloumb’s law.
Conclusion
In conclusion, all the objectives are determined and satisfy Coloumb’s law. From analysis data, we can
conclude that the magnitude of the electric force that a particle exerts on another is directly proportional
to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This
also can be identified by the graph that are being plot in part 1 and part2. There are repulsive and
attraction force occur between objects that can be identified by the sign of the products. The electric
constant can be identified in this experiment by the data recorded in the table 1 and 2. All the data
recorded also satisfy with all the condition and related to what Coloumb’s law stated.

References
Coloumb's law. (2019). Retrieved from Khan academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/hs-
physics/x215e29cb31244fa1:types-of-interactions/x215e29cb31244fa1:coulomb-s-
law/a/coulombs-law-and-electric-force-ap-physics-1
Giancoli, D. C. (2009). Physics for Scientists & Engineers with Modern Physics. Upper Saddle River,
New jersey 07458: Pearson Prentice Hall.