ELECTROSTATIC

Electrostatics is a branch of physics that deals with the phenomena and properties of
stationary or slow-moving electric charges with no acceleration.
Electric charges is a physical property of an object that causes it to be attracted toward
or repelled from another charged object; each charged object generates and is influenced
by a force called an electromagnetic force.
Electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature; the
electromagnetic force consists of static electricity, moving electricity and magnetism.
Atomic structure is nothing other than a collection of electrical charges, positively
charged protons, and negatively charged electrons.
An electroscope is a device that can be used to test for the presence of charge, or that can
be charged. An electroscope is made from conducting material (generally metal). Charge
is free to flow on a conductor, and if you put charge at a particular point it will distribute
itself over the surface of the conductor.
An electroscope generally has a rotating arm indicating the presence of a net charge. On
the electroscope we'll use, when the electroscope is uncharged the arm is usually vertical,
and when the electroscope is charged the arm moves away from vertical. This is true as
long as there are no charged objects nearby - in a few minutes we'll discuss what happens
when there are charged objects nearby.
Conductors contain free charges that move easily. When excess charge is placed on a
conductor or the conductor is put into a static electric field, charges in the conductor
quickly respond to reach a steady state called electrostatic equilibrium. Free electrons can
move through the material much as air moves through loose sand. Any substance that has
free electrons and allows charge to move relatively freely through it is called a conductor.
The moving electrons may collide with fixed atoms and molecules, losing some energy,
but they can move in a conductor.
Superconductors allow the movement of charge without any loss of energy.
Semiconductor is somewhere between conductor and insulator. Depending on the purity,
voltage, and even temperature semiconductors can conduct electricity or not. This makes
semiconductors very valuable material for electronics. They can manipulate the current
flow.
Other substances do not allow charges to move through them. These are called
insulators. Electrons and ions in insulators are bound in the structure and cannot move
easilyas much as 1023 times more slowly than in conductors.
Coulombs Law states that the magnitude of electrostatic force
(repulsion or attraction) between charges is proportional to the product

Nm
F 2k
C
of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them.
Coulombs law calculates the magnitude of the force F between two
point charges, q1 and q2 , separated by a distance r . In SI units, the
constant k is equal to
(18.4)
k = 8.988109 9.00109
The electrostatic force is a vector quantity and is expressed in units of
newtons. The force is understood to be along the line joining the two
charges.

The magnitude of the electrostatic force F between point charges q1 and q2

separated by a distance r is given by Coulombs law. Note that Newtons third

law (every force exerted creates an equal and opposite force) applies as usual
the force on q1 is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force
it exerts on q2

Coulombic forces must be invoked also in explaining molecular and

crystalline architecture. The four bonds formed by a carbon atom, for
example, have a particular geometric arrangement because of the
mutual force of repulsion among the four electron pairs that make up
those bonds. In crystalline structures, one arrangement of ions is
preferred over another because of the forces of repulsion and
attraction among like-charged and oppositely-charged particles
respectively.

Exploring the Realms of Science: PHYSICS

PHYS101_OpenStaxCollege_College-Physics.pdf
http://science.jrank.org/pages/1836/Coulomb-Applications.html#ixzz3rHpSuKOW
http://science.jrank.org/pages/1836/Coulomb-Applications.html
http://sciencefair.math.iit.edu/projects/conductors/