GENERAL PHYSICS 2| MS.
BUENAFE Adamson University Senior High School
Electrostatics
Electrostatics is the study of all phenomena associated with electric
charges at rest.
He called these
substances electrics
and this ability of
amber electricity, from
the Greek word
elektron, which
means “amber”.
Amber William Gilbert
What are electric charges?
Electric Charge
• It is a quantity in physics considered as the
counterpart of mass in electrostatics.
• It is measured in Coulomb (C).
• It is a physical property of matter that causes it to
experience force when placed into an
electromagnetic field.
Properties of Electric Charge
1. Two kinds of charges occur in nature:
+ -
Positive electric charge Negative electric charge
+ + - - + -
A B C
Two positive Two negative Two opposite
charges will repel. charges will charges will
repel. attract.
Properties of Electric Charge
2. Charge is conserved.
“The principle of the conservation of charge states that the total charge of an
isolated system remains constant.”
Properties of Electric Charge
3. Charge is quantized.
Any positive or negative charge q can be detected and can be written as:
q=ne, n=±1, ± 2, ±3,….
in which e, the elementary charge has the approximate value
𝑒 = 1.602𝑥10−19 𝐶
Coulomb’s law
The magnitude of the electric force between two-point
charges is directly proportional to the product of the
charges and inversely proportional to the square of the
distance between them.
Where:
2
9 𝑁𝑚
|𝑞1 𝑞2 | K -Coulomb’s law constant=8.9876𝑥10 𝐶 2
𝐹=𝐾 r- distance between the two charges (m)
𝑟2
GENERAL PHYSICS 2| MS. BUENAFE Adamson University Senior High School
Coulomb’s Law
The magnitude of the electric force between two-
point charges is directly proportional to the product
of the charges and inversely proportional to the
square of the distance between them.
where:
|𝑞1 𝑞2 | 9 𝑁𝑚
2
𝐹Ԧ = 𝑘 k -Coulomb’s law constant 8.9876𝑥10 𝐶 2
𝑟Ԧ 2 r - distance between the two charges (m)
The force of attraction varies with the particles distance from one another, the closer
the electron and proton from one another, the stronger the attraction.
Universal Law of Gravitation and
Coulomb’s law
• Both are inverse square laws.
• Both laws define forces.
• Forces defined by both laws are central
forces (the forces act along the line
joining the two charges in Coulomb's
law or two masses in Newton’s law of
gravitation).
• Gravitational force is always attractive.
Free-Body Diagram
Free-Body Diagram
𝑞3 𝑞1 𝑞3 𝑞1
𝐹1 𝑜𝑛 3 + + + +
𝐹3 𝑜𝑛 1
𝑞3 𝑞2
𝑞2 + -
𝑞3
+ - 𝐹3 𝑜𝑛 2
𝐹2 𝑜𝑛 3
Sample Problem 1
Two small spheres spaced 20.0 cm apart have equal
charge. How many excess electrons must be present on
each sphere if the magnitude of the force for repulsion
between them is 4.57 𝑥 10 𝑁?
−21
Sample Problem 2
In an experiment in space, one proton is held fixed, and
another proton is released from rest 2.50 mm away.
What is the initial acceleration of the proton after it is
released?
Sample Problem 3
Determine the nature of interaction between two
positive particles and calculate the electric force
between these particles if they are 1 m apart. Each has 2
nC of positive charge.
𝑞1 = 2𝑥10−9 𝐶 𝑞2 = 2𝑥10−9 𝐶
+ +
r= 1m
Sample Problem 4
Two point charges, 𝑞1 = +25 𝑛𝐶 and 𝑞2 = −75 𝑛𝐶
are separated by a distance of 𝑟 = 3 𝑐𝑚.Find the
electric force that 𝑞1 exerts on 𝑞2 ; and the force
exerted by 𝑞2 on 𝑞1 .
𝑞1 = 25𝑥10−9 𝐶 𝑞2 = −75𝑥10−9 𝐶
+ -
𝑟 = 0.03 𝑚
Sample Problem 5
Two point charges are located on the positive x-axis of a
coordinate system. Charge 𝑞1 =1.0 nC is 2.0 cm from the
origin, and charge 𝑞2 = −3.0 𝑛𝐶 𝑖𝑠 4.0 cm from the
origin. What is the total force exerted by these two
charges on charge 𝑞3 = 5.0 𝑛𝐶 located at the origin?
Determine the net force experienced by 𝑞1 .
𝑞3 = 5.0 𝑛𝐶 𝑞 = 1.0 𝑛𝐶 𝑞2 = −3.0 nC
1
+ + -
0 0.02 m 0.04 m
Sample Problem 6
A charge is located at the + 𝑞2
origin with a charge of +1
microcoulomb. Consider two
other charges that both have a 1800 𝑞1
𝑞3
charge of 2 μC, one located at 𝐹3 𝑜𝑛 1
+ +
(1 cm, 0 cm) and the other at 2700
(0 cm, 1 cm). Calculate the
net electric force on the
charge. 𝐹2 𝑜𝑛 1
Sample Problem 7
+ 𝑞1 = 2.0µC
0.30 m Two equal positive point
Q = 4.0µC
+
charges 𝑞1 and 𝑞2 =2.0 µC
0.40 m interact with point charge Q=4.
0.30 m
0 µC. Find the magnitude and
+ 𝑞2 = 2.0µC
direction of the net force on Q.
Sample Problem 8
𝑞3
Three charges, each has 5.0 µC
+
1m 1m are situated at the corners of an
equilateral triangle of side 1 m.
Find the force that 𝑞3
experienced due to the other
+
+
𝑞1 1m
𝑞2
two charges.
𝑞1 = 𝑞2 = 𝑞3 =5.0 µC