84-A Ammasai gounder street, Vellakinar
Coimbatore -641029, TAMIL NADU, INDIA
AISSCE – 2025-2026
PHYSICS PROJECT
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
EXPERIMENTAL
VERIFICATION OF
COULUMBS LAW
Submitted by
Name : [Link]
Reg. No. :
Year :2025-26
VELAMMAL BODHI CAMPUS, COIMBATORE
VELLAKINAR, COIMBATORE Dist.
PHYSICS PROJECT
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this is the bonafide record of project work done by Master
[Link] of Grade XII during the academic year 2025-26.
Submitted for AISSCE Physics Practical Examination held on _____________ at
Velammal Bodhi Campus, Vellakinar, Coimbatore District.
Date : ____________ Teacher Incharge
PRINCIPAL INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all we thank our beloved parents for providing us
the opportunity to study in VELAMMAL BODHI CAMPUS
We thank our beloved Director
Sri. M.V.M. SASIKUMAR for being our motivational force for the
completion of this project.
We thank our Zonal Head Sri. LAVANYA N, Principal Sri
REVATHI V and Senior HM Mr. SAKTHIVEL C for their
exceptional support.
We thank our Physics Teachers for encouraging and guiding us
to complete this project.
Last but not the least I thank all my friends who helped me in
the completion of this project.
INDEX
SERIAL NUMBER TOPIC PAGE NO
1
Introduction to Electrostatics 1
2
Statement of Coulomb’s Law 1
3
Charles-Augustin de Coulomb 2
4
The Torsion Balance 2
5
Experimental Verification 3
6
Mathematical Formulation 4
7
Limitations of Coulomb’s Law 5
8
Significance in Electric Fields 5
9
Applications in Technology and 6
Nature
10 CONCLUSION 7
11 BILBIOGRAPHY 7
1. Introduction to Electrostatics
Electrostatics is the branch of physics dealing with electric charges at rest. It explores
how charges interact, particularly the forces they exert on one another. This field is
foundational to understanding electricity, magnetism, and modern electronics. One of
the cornerstone principles in electrostatics is Coulomb’s Law, which quantifies the
electrostatic force between two point charges. This law is critical because it explains
how charges influence one another across distances. Understanding Coulomb’s Law
enables us to grasp more complex phenomena, from electric fields and potentials to the
functioning of capacitors and insulators. It serves as a gateway to deeper studies in
physics.
2. Statement of Coulomb’s Law
Coulomb’s Law states that the force of attraction or repulsion between two stationary
point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges
and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Mathematically,
F = k * (q₁q₂) / r²,
where F is the force, q₁ and q₂ are the charges, r is the distance between them, and k is
Coulomb’s constant. The law also specifies that this force acts along the line joining the
charges. This simple yet powerful law is crucial in understanding electrostatic
interactions.
3. Charles-Augustin de Coulomb
Charles-Augustin de Coulomb, a French physicist, formulated Coulomb’s Law in the
1780s through careful experimentation. His work laid the foundation for classical
electrostatics. He used a torsion balance to investigate how charged bodies interact.
Coulomb was motivated by the need to understand the quantitative nature of electrical
forces, which had been qualitatively observed for centuries. His work led to the precise
formulation of how these forces behave, and it eventually helped unify electricity and
magnetism into a coherent theory. Coulomb’s name is now immortalized not just in the
law but also in the SI unit of electric charge—the coulomb (C).
4. The Torsion Balance
To verify his law, Coulomb designed and used a torsion balance—a highly sensitive
instrument consisting of a horizontal bar suspended by a thin wire. When like or unlike
charges were placed at the ends of the bar, it would rotate due to the electrostatic force.
The angle of rotation was proportional to the force between the charges. By measuring
this angle and the known torsional stiffness of the wire, Coulomb calculated the
magnitude of the electrostatic force. He varied the charge magnitudes and distances to
verify the inverse square law. The torsion balance thus played a pivotal role in his
discovery.
5. Experimental Verification
Coulomb conducted several experiments using the torsion balance to establish the law.
He observed that when the distance between charges was doubled, the force became
one-fourth, proving the inverse square nature. Similarly, doubling one of the charges
doubled the force, showing direct proportionality. These results were reproducible and
consistent. Despite the primitive tools of his time, his experiments were remarkably
accurate. Modern methods—like using electrometers and vacuum chambers—have
confirmed Coulomb’s findings to even greater precision. The law stands today as one of
the most experimentally verified principles in physics, underlying a wide array of
technological and scientific developments.
LABELLED DIAGRAM OF VERIFICATION
6. Mathematical Formulation
Coulomb’s Law is elegantly expressed through a vector equation:
F = (1/4πε₀) * (q₁q₂ / r²) * r̂,
where ε₀ is the permittivity of free space and r̂ is a unit vector from one charge to the
other. The constant (1/4πε₀) is approximately 9 × 10⁹ N·m²/C². This form shows that the
force is central (along the line joining charges), conservative, and acts equally on both
charges. The sign of the charges determines the nature—repulsive if both are alike,
attractive if opposite. The vector form is essential in higher-level studies, especially in
dealing with electric fields and potentials in multiple dimensions and continuous charge
distributions.
VISUALISATION OF FORMULA
7. Limitations of Coulomb’s Law
Though powerful, Coulomb’s Law has its limitations. It only applies to point charges
or spherically symmetric charge distributions at rest. The charges must be stationary
because the law does not consider magnetic effects, which emerge when charges move.
Also, it assumes the medium between charges is vacuum or uniform; in reality,
materials can affect the force through their permittivity. Moreover, at atomic and
subatomic levels, quantum effects dominate, and Coulomb’s Law may no longer be
accurate. Thus, while foundational, the law needs refinement or replacement when
dealing with high-speed particles, strong fields, or very small distances.
8. Significance in Electric Fields
Coulomb’s Law is the basis for defining the electric field. The electric field E at a point
is defined as the force per unit positive test charge:
E = F / q₀.
Using Coulomb’s Law, this becomes:
E = (1/4πε₀) * (q / r²) * r̂.
Thus, a single point charge generates an electric field around it, decreasing with the
square of the distance. Understanding electric fields is essential for analyzing how
charges interact in space and how capacitors, circuits, and insulating materials work.
Electric field lines, derived from this concept, visually represent force directions and
interactions in electrostatics.
VISUALS OF ELECTRIC FIELDS
9. Applications in Technology and Nature
Coulomb’s Law has vast applications. In electronics, it explains how charges move in
circuits, and helps design capacitors, sensors, and semiconductor devices. It governs the
binding of electrons in atoms and ions in chemistry. In biology, the law explains forces
in protein folding and DNA structures. Satellites and spacecraft design consider
Coulombic interactions in charged particle environments. Even in materials science,
electrostatic forces affect adhesion, friction, and dust attraction. In essence, from the
microscopic structure of matter to macroscopic systems, Coulomb’s Law plays a crucial
role, shaping both natural phenomena and technological innovations across disciplines.
10. Conclusion
Coulomb’s Law is a cornerstone of classical physics. It mathematically describes the
force between static electric charges and is backed by solid experimental evidence.
Despite its limitations in certain conditions, it remains widely applicable and has
opened the doors to deeper understanding in fields like electromagnetism, electronics,
chemistry, and biology. The precision and simplicity of Coulomb’s Law have enabled
generations of scientists to model, predict, and manipulate electric forces effectively. Its
discovery marks one of the pivotal moments in physics, demonstrating the power of
experiment-backed theory to explain fundamental interactions in the universe.
Bibliography :
● GOOGLE CHROME
● [Link]
● SCHOOL OF PE
● THE PHYSICS CLASSROOM
● SHUTTERSTOCK