Electricity and Magnetism

Electric Charges and Forces

Electric Charge
Coulomb’s Law

Portia A. Egken, Ed.D

 COULOMB’S LAW

In 1785 Charles Coulomb (1736–1806) experimentally established the fundamental

law of electric force between two stationary charged particles.

An electric force has the following properties:

1. It is directed along a line joining the two particles and is inversely
proportional to the square of the separation distance r, between them.
2. It is proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges, q1 and q2 ,
of the two particles.
3. It is attractive if the charges are of opposite sign and repulsive if the charges
have the same sign.

From these observations, Coulomb proposed the following mathematical form for the
electric force between two charges:

The magnitude of the electric force F between charges q1 and q2 separated by a distance
r is given by

F k
 q1   q2 
r2
where k is a constant called the Coulomb constant.
 This equation is known as Coulomb’s law, applies exactly only to point charges
and to spherical distributions of charges, in which case r is the distance between the
two centers of charge.

For historical reasons (and because doing so simplifies many other formulas), the
electrostatic constant k is usually written as 1
k
4 0
1  q1   q2 
’ F
4 0 r 2
The value of the Coulomb constant in depends on the choice of units. The SI unit of
charge is the coulomb (C). From experiment, we know that the Coulomb constant
in SI units has the value

1
k  8.99  109 N .m 2 / C 2
4 0

 0  8.85  1012 C 2 / N .m 2
 Electric Charge

Key Question:
How do electric charges
interact?
 Electric Charge
All ordinary matter
contains both positive and
negative charge.
You do not usually notice
the charge because most
matter contains the exact
same number of positive
and negative charges.
An object is electrically
neutral when it has equal
amounts of both types of
charge.
 Electric Charge
Objects can lose or gain
electric charges.
The net charge is also
sometimes called excess
charge because a charged
object has an excess of either
positive or negative charges.
A tiny imbalance in either
positive or negative charge
on an object is the cause of
static electricity.
 Electric Charge
Electric charge is a
property of tiny
particles in atoms.
The unit of electric
charge is the coulomb
(C).
A quantity of charge
should always be
identified with a
positive or a negative
sign.
 Electric forces
Electric forces are created between all
electric charges.
Because there are two kinds of charge
(positive and negative) the electrical force
between charges can attract or repel.
 Electric forces
The forces between the two kinds of charge
can be observed with an electroscope.
An electroscope contains two very thin leaves of
metal that can swing from a central rod
connected to a metal ball. Charges can flow
freely between the ball and the leaves.
Suppose a positively charged rod touches the
metal ball of an electroscope.
Some negative electrons are attracted to the
rod.
The metal ball and leaves of the electroscope are
left with a net positive charge.
Since both leaves have the same positive charge,
the leaves repel each other and spread apart.
Once an electroscope is charged, it can be
used to test other charged objects.
The leaves spread farther apart if another
positively charged rod is brought near the
metal ball.
This happens because the positive rod
attracts some negative electrons from the
leaves toward the ball, increasing the positive
charge on the leaves.
 Electric forces
Charge can be transferred by conduction.
 Electric current
 The direction of current was historically defined as
the direction that positive charges move.
 Both positive and negative charges can carry
current.

In conductive liquids (salt

water) both positive and
negative charges carry
current.
In solid metal conductors,
only the electrons can move,
so current is carried by the
flow of negative electrons.
 Electric current
Current is the movement of electric charge
through a substance.
Charge that flows
(coulombs)
Current
(amps)
I=q
t
Time (sec)
 Calculate current

Two coulombs of charge pass through a wire

in five seconds.
Calculate the current in the wire.

I=q I = 2C
I = 0.4A
t 5s
 Conductors and insulators
All materials contain
electrons.
The electrons are what
carry the current in a
conductor.
The electrons in
insulators are not free to
move—they are tightly
bound inside atoms.
 Conductors and insulators
A semiconductor has a few free electrons
and atoms with bound electrons that act as
insulators.
 Conductors and insulators
When two neutral objects
are rubbed together, charge
is transferred from one to
the other and the objects
become oppositely charged.
This is called charging by
friction.
Objects charged by this
method will attract each
other.
A charged balloon will stick to a (neutral)
wall or other insulating surface.
When a negatively charged balloon is near
a wall, electrons inside atoms in the wall are
repelled.
Since the wall is made of insulating
material, the repelled electrons are not free
to travel between atoms.
The electrons can move within each atom,
so they spend more time on the side of the
atom that is farthest from the balloon.
 Coulomb's Law
Coulomb’s law relates the force between two single
charges separated by a distance.
Constant
9 x109 N.m2/C2
Force
(N)
F = K q 1 q2 Charges (C)

r2
Distance (m)

1 Coulomb (C) = 6.25 x 1018 electrons

1 microcoulomb (µC) = 1 x 10-6 C
 Coulomb's Law
The force between
two charges gets
stronger as the
charges move closer
together.
The force also gets
stronger if the amount
of charge becomes
larger.
 Coulomb's Law
The force between
two charges is
directed along the line
connecting their
centers.
Electric forces always
occur in pairs
according to Newton’s
third law, like all
forces.
 Coulomb's Law
The force between
charges is directly
proportional to the
magnitude, or amount,
of each charge.
Doubling one charge
doubles the force.
Doubling both charges
quadruples the force.
 Coulomb's Law
The force between charges is
inversely proportional to the
square of the distance
between them.
Doubling the distance
reduces the force by a factor
of 22 = (4), decreasing the
force to one-fourth its
original value (1/4).
This relationship is called an
inverse square law because
force and distance follow an
inverse square relationship.
 Calculating force

Two balls are each given a static electric charge

of one ten-thousandth (0.0001) of a coulomb.
Calculate the force between the charges when
they are separated by one-tenth (0.1) of a meter.
Compare the force with the weight of an average
70 kg person.
1) You are asked to calculate the force
and compare it to a person’s weight.
2) You are given the charges and
separation, and the mass of the person.
3) Use Coulomb’s law, F= -Kq1q2/d2,
for the electric force and F=mg for the
weight.
4) Solve:
F = (9×109 N•m2/C2)(0.0001C)(.0001C)
(0.1 m)2
= 9,000 N
The weight of a 70 kg person: F = mg
= (70 kg)(9.8 N/kg) = 686 N
The force between the charges is 13.1
times the weight of an average person
(9,000 ÷ 686).
Two objects are both negatively charged with
0.02C each and are 70 cm apart. What kind of
force exists between them and how much?

F= k q1 q2
r2

F= (-0.02C)(-0.02C)
(0.70m)2
F= 7.3 x 106 N (force of repulsion)
F= k q1 q2 F= 9x109(-2.0 C)(3.0C)
r2 (80m)2

q2 = (F) r2 q2 = (9N) (10m)2

(k)q1 (9x109)(-0.005C)

r= k q1 q2 r= 9x109 (-3C)(-3C)
F 19.2N
 Fields and forces
The concept of a field is used to describe any
quantity that has a value for all points in space.
You can think of the field as the way forces are
transmitted between objects.
Charge creates an electric field that creates forces
on other charges.
 Fields and forces
Mass creates a gravitational field that
exerts forces on other masses.
 Fields and forces
Gravitational forces are far weaker than
electric forces.
Drawing the electric field
 Electric fields and electric force
On the Earth’s surface, the gravitational field
creates 9.8 N of force on each kilogram of mass.
With gravity, the strength of the field is in newtons
per kilogram (N/kg) because the field describes the
amount of force per kilogram of mass.
 Electric fields and electric force
With the electric field, the strength is in
newtons per coulomb (N/C).
The electric field describes the amount of
force per coulomb of charge.
 Accelerators
An electric field can be
produced by maintaining a
voltage difference across any
insulating space, such as air
or a vacuum.
Electric fields are used to
create beams of high-speed
electrons by accelerating
them.
Electron beams are used in
x-ray machines, televisions,
computer displays, and
many other technologies.
Electric shielding
Electric fields are created all around
us by electric appliances, lightning,
and even static electricity.
These stray electric fields can
interfere with the operation of
computers and other sensitive
electronics.
Many electrical devices and wires
that connect them are enclosed in
conducting metal shells to take
advantage of the shielding effect.
Coulomb’s Law
Key Question:
How strong are electrical forces?
 Capacitors
A capacitor is a storage device for electric charge.

 Capacitors can be connected in series or parallel in

circuits, just like resistors.
 Capacitors
A capacitor can be charged by connecting it to
a battery or any other source of current.
A capacitor can be discharged by connecting
it to any closed circuit that allows current to
flow.
Capacitors
The current flowing into or out of
a particular capacitor depends
on four things:
1. The amount of charge already
in the capacitor.
2. The voltage applied to the
capacitor by the circuit.
3. Any circuit resistance that
limits the current flowing in
the circuit.
4. The capacitance of the
capacitor.
 How a capacitor works inside
The simplest type of
capacitor is called a
parallel plate capacitor.
It is made of two
conductive metal plates
that are close together,
with an insulating plate
in between to keep the
charges from coming
together.
Wires conduct charges
coming in and out of the
capacitor.
How a capacitor works inside
The amount of charge a capacitor can store
depends on several factors:
1. The voltage applied to the capacitor.
2. The insulating ability of the material
between the positive and negative plates.
3. The area of the two plates (larger areas
can hold more charge).
4. The separation distance between the
plates.
 Capacitance
The ability of a capacitor to store charge is
called capacitance (C).

Capacitance
(coulombs/volt)
Charge
(C)
q=CV Voltage (volts)

Cameras use capacitors to supply quick bursts of

energy to flash bulbs.
 Capacitance
Capacitance is measured in farads (F).
A one-farad capacitor can store one coulomb
of charge when the voltage across its plates is
one volt.

 One farad is a large amount

of capacitance, so the
microfarad (μF) is frequently
used in place of the farad.
 Calculate capacitance
A capacitor holds 0.02
coulombs of charge
when fully charged by a
12-volt battery.
Calculate its
capacitance and the
voltage that would be
required for it to hold
one coulomb of charge.
1) You are asked to find the capacitance and the voltage
needed to hold 1 C of charge.
2) You are given the voltage and corresponding charge.
3) Use C = q/V to calculate the capacitance.
4) Solve:
C=(0.02 C) ÷ (12 V) =0.001667 F or 1667 μF
Rearrange C = q/V to get V = q/C and calculate the
voltage required to store a charge of 1 C on the capacitor.
V = (1 C) ÷ (0.001667 F) = 600 V
The capacitor would hold one coulomb of charge at a
voltage of 600 volts.
Most capacitors would be destroyed by a voltage this
high.
Application: How a Television
Works