1.9 Physics Lecture on Electrostatics and Coulomb's Law

These flashcards summarize key concepts from a physics lecture about electrostatics, force interactions, and Coulomb's law.

What is the result when equal positive charges are near each other?

The charges repel each other.

What happens to the net force when a positive test charge is placed near a negative charge?

The net force is attractive, pulling the test charge towards the negative charge.

What is polarization in the context of charged materials?

It is the separation of charges within a material under the influence of an external electric field.

Who formulated the equation representing the force between two point charges?

Charles-Augustin de Coulomb.

What does Coulomb's law state about the force between two point charges?

The force is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

What is the electrostatic constant represented by in Coulomb's law?

The electrostatic constant, denoted as K, quantifies the strength of the electrostatic force.

How does the force between two charges change with distance according to Coulomb's law?

The force decreases as the square of the distance increases.

What vector addition method is used to find net force with multiple charges?

The net force is found by vectorially adding the individual forces from all charges.

What does the symbol 'Σ' (sigma) represent in vector force addition?

It indicates the sum of all individual forces.

What occurs when two positive charges are equidistant to a negative charge?

The resultant force on the negative charge will be directed towards the positive charges.