Electric Charge and Coulomb's Law

Electric Charge

Net electric charge acquired by an object, with positive and negative charges suggested by Benjamin Franklin.

Electron

Negatively charged subatomic particle.

Proton

Positively charged subatomic particle.

Neutron

Subatomic particle with no charge.

Coulomb

Unit of charge [C], also known as elementary charge.

Electron Donor

Materials like human hands and human hair that give up electrons easily.

Triboelectric Series

List of materials based on their affinity for negative charge, determining electron donors.

Electron Acceptor

Materials like PVC that accept electrons easily.

Principle of Conservation of Charge

Total electric charge in a closed system remains constant.

Charge is Quantized

Electric charge is always an integer multiple of the elementary charge.

Conductors

Materials allowing free movement of electrons.

Insulators

Materials with very few free electrons, hindering electric charge movement.

Conduction

Charging by direct contact between objects.

Induction

Charging without direct contact between objects.

Polarization

Shifting of charge within neutral body molecules.

Coulomb's Law

Describes the electric force between two charges, inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Permittivity of Free Space

Constant [𝜖0 = 8.85 x 10^-12 C^2/Nm^2] in Coulomb's Law.

Newton's 3rd Law

States that forces between two objects are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.

Principle of Superposition of Forces

Total force on a charge due to multiple charges is the vector sum of individual forces.

Gravitational Force

Force of attraction between objects with mass.

Practice Problems

Exercises to apply concepts and principles learned.

Discussion Questions

Queries to encourage critical thinking and discussion on the topic.