All Flashcards
What is Coulomb's Law?
Coulomb's Law describes the electrostatic force between two charged objects, dependent on the magnitude of charges and distance between them.
Define electrostatic force (F).
The force between charged objects, measured in Newtons (N).
Define Coulomb's constant (k).
The proportionality constant in Coulomb's Law, approximately .
Define charge magnitude (q).
The quantity of electric charge, measured in Coulombs (C).
Define distance (r) in Coulomb's Law.
The separation between two charges, measured in meters (m).
What is a Free-Body Diagram (FBD)?
A visual representation of all forces acting on an object.
Define net force.
The vector sum of all forces acting on an object.
Define equilibrium in the context of forces.
A state where the net force on an object is zero, resulting in no acceleration.
What are the key differences between electric force and gravitational force?
Electric Force: Can be attractive or repulsive, depends on charge, much stronger at atomic level. | Gravitational Force: Always attractive, depends on mass, weaker at atomic level.
Compare the forces experienced by positive and negative charges in an electric field.
Positive Charge: Experiences force in the direction of the electric field. | Negative Charge: Experiences force opposite to the direction of the electric field.
What are the steps to draw a Free-Body Diagram (FBD)?
- Isolate the object. 2. Identify all forces acting on the object (e.g., electric force, gravitational force, tension). 3. Represent each force with an arrow indicating magnitude and direction. 4. Label each force clearly.
How do you calculate the electrostatic force between two charges?
Use Coulomb's Law: , where is the force, is Coulomb's constant, and are the charges, and is the distance between them.
How do you determine the direction of the electric force?
Like charges repel, and opposite charges attract. If the result of Coulomb's Law is positive, the force is repulsive. If negative, it's attractive. The direction aligns with the line connecting the charges.
How do you find the net force on an object with multiple electric forces?
- Draw a free-body diagram. 2. Calculate the magnitude and direction of each electric force. 3. Resolve forces into components. 4. Sum the components to find the net force in each direction. 5. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the net force.