All Flashcards
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 happens to the electrostatic force if the distance between two charges is doubled?
The electrostatic force decreases by a factor of four.
What happens to the electrostatic force if the magnitude of one charge is doubled?
The electrostatic force doubles.
What happens when the net force on an object is zero?
The object is in equilibrium, either at rest or moving at a constant velocity.
What happens when a positive charge is placed in an electric field?
The charge experiences a force in the direction of the electric field, causing it to accelerate in that direction (if free to move).
What happens when a negative charge is placed in an electric field?
The charge experiences a force opposite to the direction of the electric field, causing it to accelerate in the opposite direction (if free to move).
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.