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What is the effect of bringing like charges near each other?
They repel each other.
What is the effect of bringing opposite charges near each other?
They attract each other.
What happens when an external electric field is applied to a material?
It leads to electric polarization, where electrons within the material rearrange, causing a separation of positive and negative charges.
Why do gravitational forces dominate at large scales?
Because large systems tend to be electrically neutral, canceling out electrostatic forces, while gravity is always attractive and doesn't cancel.
What are the key differences between electrostatic and gravitational forces?
Electrostatic: Much stronger at atomic level, can be attractive or repulsive. Gravitational: Weaker at atomic level, always attractive, dominates at large scales due to electrical neutrality.
Compare the electric permittivity of conductors and insulators.
Conductors: High permittivity due to free charge carriers. Insulators: Low permittivity due to restricted charge carrier movement.
Define electric charge.
A fundamental property of matter that can be positive or negative, measured in coulombs (C).
What is the elementary charge (e)?
The magnitude of charge on a single electron or proton, approximately 1.602 x 10^-19 C.
What is Coulomb's constant (k)?
The constant of proportionality in Coulomb's Law, approximately 8.99 x 10^9 N m^2/C^2.
Define electric permittivity.
A measure of how easily a material can be polarized by an electric field; it determines the amount of electric field induced in the material.
What is permittivity of free space ($\varepsilon_0$)?
The electric permittivity in a vacuum, a constant value that appears in many equations related to electric fields and forces.
What is a point charge?
A charged object whose size is negligible compared to the distances involved in the problem.