Master Electrostatics with interactive visualizations. Learn about electric charges, electric fields, Coulomb's law, Gauss's law, and electrostatic phenomena through hands-on simulations and step-by-step animations.
Understanding the basics of stationary electric charges
Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electric field. There are two types of electric charges:
Like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract. The SI unit of electric charge is the Coulomb (C).
An electric field is a vector field that surrounds electrically charged particles and exerts force on other charged particles. The electric field at a point is defined as the force per unit charge that would be experienced by a positive test charge placed at that point.
The direction of the electric field is the direction of the force it would exert on a positive test charge. Electric field lines begin on positive charges and terminate on negative charges.
Electric potential (also known as voltage) is the amount of work needed to move a unit of positive charge from a reference point to a specific point inside the electric field without producing any acceleration. The SI unit of electric potential is the volt (V).
The relationship between electric field and electric potential is given by: E = -∇V
Coulomb's law describes the electrostatic interaction between electrically charged particles. It states that the magnitude of the electrostatic force of attraction or repulsion between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Formula: F = k × (q₁ × q₂) / r²
Where k is Coulomb's constant (8.988 × 10⁹ N⋅m²/C²)
Experience electrostatics concepts through hands-on visualizations
Force: 0.00 N
Direction: -
Interactive guide to understanding electrostatics calculations
Charge 1: 5.0 μC, Charge 2: -3.0 μC, Distance: 10.0 cm
Convert to SI units: Charges to Coulombs, Distance to meters
F = k × (q₁ × q₂) / r²
Substitute values and compute the electrostatic force
Identify if the force is attractive or eLO
How electrostatics principles are applied in technology
Use electrostatic charges to transfer toner particles to paper, creating high-quality prints.
Employ electrostatic precipitation to remove dust and allergens from the air.
Store electrical energy in electric fields, essential in electronic circuits.