Coulomb's Law

SWBAT calculate the electrostatic

force acting on an object.
Do Now
 HW Answers: Practice- Conservation of Charge

1. (-) in knob, (+) on leaves 1.

2. Gains a) -1.5 C
3. Loses b) 9.38x1018 C excess electrons
4. c) +7 C sphere gained
electrons
a) 13
2.
b) Negative
a) +6.5 C
c) -2.08x10-18 C
b) 4.06x1019 C excess protons
c) +9 C sphere gained
electrons
 Conductors & Insulators
A conductor’s electrons are free to move around
the object (ex. metals).

An insulator’s electrons are not free to move

around the object, but can move around inside
the individual atoms.
 Conductors & Insulators
Charged objects are attracted to neutral objects.

Becomes
Polarized
Why do we get shocked more in the winter?
 Critical Thinking
Is there a force between two charged objects?

How can you tell? Give examples you have seen

in this class or in your everyday life.
We can see objects move when charged
objects are brought close to them.

In other words a mass is being accelerated

F=ma
 

So there must be some electrostatic force

between them.
 Coulomb’s Experiment
Charles-Augustin Coulomb used a
torsion balance to examine the
relationship between electrostatic
force and 2 different variables:

1. The Magnitude of Charges (q)

2. The Distance between Charges (r)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5VpIje-R54
https://
 Electrostatic Force and
Magnitude of Charge Data Analysis:
Magnitude Distance dot 1. What is the relationship
of Charge is displaced
between Electrostatic Force
0.5q 7 cm and the Magnitude of
1q 14 cm Charges?
2q 28 cm
2. What is the relationship
between Electrostatic Force
Electrostatic Force and Distance and the Distance Between
Distance Distance dot objects?
between is displaced
spheres 3. Write an equation for
Electrostatic Force.
5cm 44 cm
10cm 22 cm 4. Where have we seen a
relationship like this before?
20cm 5.5 cm
 Coulomb’s Law

k q1 q 2
 

F e= 2
r
Fe = Electrostatic Force
k = Electrostatic Constant: 8.99x109 N*m2/C2
q1 and q2 = the charges of the 2 objects
r = the distance between the centers of the 2 objects
Where have we seen this relationship before?
 The Law of Universal Gravitation

Fg = Gravitational Force
G = Gravitational Constant: 6.67x10-11 N*m2/kg2
m1 and m2 = the masses of the 2 objects
r = the distance between the centers of the 2 objects
This relationship comes up again and again in physics!!!
 Reference Table
Where is Coulomb’s Law?
Where is the Electrostatic Constant (k)?
 Pop Quiz!
 
k q1 q 2
F e= 2
r

Fe Fe
q1 3q
3q22

3 times one of the charges

 Pop Quiz!
 
k q1 q 2
F e= 2
r

Fe Fe
q1 q2

3r

3 times the distance

 Pop Quiz!
 
k q1 q 2
F e= 2
r

Fe Fe
2q1 2q
3q22

2 times both of the charges

 Pop Quiz!
 
k q1 q 2
F e= 2
r

Fe Fe
q1 q2

½r

½ the distance
 Pop Quiz!
 
k q1 q 2
F e= 2
r

Fe Fe
2q1 2q2

2r

2 times both of the charges and twice the distance

 Pop Quiz!
 
k q1 q 2
F e= 2
r

q1 3q2

1 third the distance and 3 times one of the charges

 Pop Quiz!
 
k q1 q 2
F e= 2
r

Fe Fe
4q2
½ q1

2r

½ one charge, 4 times the other, and twice as far

 Example 1
Two identical conducting spheres are placed
with their centers 0.30m apart. One is given a
charge of +12x10-9C and the other is given a
charge of -18x10-9C.

a. Find the electric force exerted on one sphere by the

other.
b. The spheres are connected by a conducting wire.
After equilibrium has occurred, find the electric
force between the two spheres.
 Example 2
Two identical conducting spheres are placed
with their centers 1.2 m apart. One is given a
charge of +7.3 μC and the other is given a
charge of -4.5 μC.

a. Find the electric force exerted on one sphere by

the other.
b. The spheres are connected by a conducting wire.
After equilibrium has occurred, find the electric
force between the two spheres.
 Exit Ticket
What is the electrostatic force between the two
charged spheres shown below?
Fe Fe
+3 C -73qC2

2m

What would happen to the electrostatic force is

the distance between the spheres is doubled
and one charge is tripled?
Practice- Coulomb’s Law