Abstract
When it is only of interest to know the
magnitude of the electrostatic force (and
not its direction), it may be easiest to
consider a scalar version of the law. The
scalar form of the Coulomb’s Law
relates the magnitude and sign of the
electrostatic force F acting
simultaneously on two point charges q1
and q2 as follows:
where r is the separation distance and
ke is Coulomb’s constant. If the product
q1q2 is positive, the force between the
two charges is repulsive; if the product
is negative, the force between them is
attractive.
Objective
To estimate the charge induced on each
one of the two identical styrofoam balls
(or pith balls) suspended in a vertical
plane by making use of Coulomb’s law:-
Theory
The fundamental concept in
electrostatics is electrical charge. We
are all familiar with the fact that rubbing
two materials together - for example, a
rubber comb on cat fur - produces a
“static” charge. This process is called
charging by friction.
The charged particles which make up
the universe come in three kinds:
positive, negative, and neutral. Neutral
particles do not interact with electrical
forces. Charged particles exert electrical
and magnetic forces on one another, but
if the charges are stationary, the mutual
force is very simple in form and is given
by Coulomb’s Law:
where F is the electrical force between
any two stationary charged particles
with charges q1 and q2(measured in
coulombs), r is the separation between
the charges (measured in meters), and
k is a constant of nature (equal to 9x109
Nm2/C2 in SI units).
The study of the Coulomb forces among
arrangements of stationary charged
particles is called electrostatics.
Coulomb’s Law describes three
properties of the electrical force:
1)The force is inversely proportional to
the square of the distance between the
charges, and is directed along the
straight line that connects their centres.
2)The force is proportional to the
product of the magnitude of the charges.
3)Two particles of the same charge
exert a repulsive force on each other,
and two particles of opposite charge
exert an attractive force on each other.
Most of the common objects we deal
with in the macroscopic (human-sized)
world are electrically neutral. They are
composed of atoms that consist of
negatively charged electrons moving in
quantum motion around a positively
charged nucleus. The total negative
charge of the electrons is normally
exactly equal to the total positive charge
of the nuclei, so the atoms (and
therefore the entire object) have no net
electrical charge. When we charge a
material by friction, we are transferring
some of the electrons from one material
to another.
Materials such as metals are
conductors. Each metal atom
contributes one or two electrons that
can move relatively freely through the
material. A conductor will carry an
electrical current. Other materials such
as glass are insulators. Their electrons
are bound tightly and cannot move.
Charge sticks on an insulator, but does
not move freely through it.
A neutral particle is not affected by
electrical forces. Nevertheless, a
charged object will attract a neutral
macroscopic object by the process of
electrical polarisation. For example, if a
negatively charged rod is brought close
to an isolated, neutral insulator, the
electrons in the atoms of the insulator
will be pushed slightly away from the
negative rod, and the positive nuclei will
be attracted slightly toward the negative
rod. We say that the rod has induced
polarisation in the insulator, but its net
charge is still zero.
The polarisation of charge in the
insulator is small, but now it’s positive
charge is a bit closer to the negative
rod, and its negative charge is a bit
farther away. Thus, the positive charge
is attracted to the rod more strongly than
the negative charge is repelled, and
there is an overall net attraction. If the
negative rod is brought near an isolated,
neutral conductor, the conductor will
also be polarised. In the conductor,
electrons are free to move through the
material, and some of them are repelled
over to the opposite surface of the
conductor, leaving the surface near the
negative rod with a net positive charge.
The conductor has been polarised, and
will now be attracted to the charged rod.
Now if we connect a conducting wire or
any other conducting material from the
polarised conductor to the ground, we
provide a “path” through which the
electrons can move. Electrons will
actually move along this path to the
ground. If the wire or path is
subsequently disconnected, the
conductor as a whole is left with a net
positive charge. The conductor has
been charged without actually being
touched with the charged rod, and its
charge is opposite that of the rod. This
procedure is called charging by
induction.
Materials Required:
• Small size identical balls (pitch or
soft plastic)
• Physical balance or electrical
balance
• Half meter scale
• Cotton thread
• Small stand
• Glass rod
• Silk cloth
Procedure:
1. Measure the mass (m) of each of the
two identical pith balls using a physical
balance. 2. Hang the two balls from a
rigid support using light silk or cotton
threads of same length ‘l’.
3. Rub the glass tod silk cloth to induce
charge on it. Now touch the glass rod
with both the pith balls together so that
equal charge is induced on both the
balls.
4. When left freely, the two balls will
repel each other. Measure the distance
between the balls when are at rest. Note
down the distance.
5. To change the charge on ball, take
third uncharged ball touch it to any one
of the two balls and take the third ball
away, and repeat step 4.
6. Take other uncharged suspended
with other uncharged 4th ball and take
the 4th ball away and repeat step 4.
Observations:
Mass of the pith balls m= 200 gm.
Radius of the ball a = 0.2 cm.
Length of thread l = 100 cm.
Charge on Ball
Result:
Let the force between two stationary
charges be F.
stationary charges
The weight of the ball w = mg
The restoring force on each ball = mg
sinθ
From the diagram in the right in triangle
ABC
Sinθ = x/2l
Let the charge on each ball be q1, q2
and q3 then at equilibrium
mg sinθ = (kq×q )/x2
Charge on the pith ball =√((mgr3)/2kl)
charge on each ball.
Bibliography:
●iCBSE.com
●Wikipedia
●Chemmicalland.com
●
●Books.google.co.in
●Physics NCERT class 12 book
