Electrostatics

Definition

Electrostatics is the study of electric charges at rest and the forces, fields, and potentials associated with them. It focuses on understanding how charges interact and the resulting electric fields they generate.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Coulomb's Law describes the force between two point charges as directly proportional to the product of their magnitudes and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
2. Electric field (E) is defined as the force per unit charge experienced by a small positive test charge placed in a field, expressed as $E = F/q$.
3. The principle of superposition states that the net electric field created by multiple charges is the vector sum of the individual fields created by each charge.
4. Equipotential surfaces are surfaces where the electric potential is constant. No work is required to move a charge along an equipotential surface.
5. Gauss's Law states that the total electric flux through a closed surface is equal to $\frac{1}{\epsilon_0}$ times the enclosed electric charge.

Review Questions

• What is Coulomb's Law and how does it describe interactions between charged particles?
• How do you calculate an electric field generated by a point charge?
• Explain Gauss's Law and provide an example of its application.

Related terms

Coulomb's Law: A law stating that the electrostatic force between two charges is directly proportional to their product and inversely proportional to the square of their separation distance.

Electric Field: A vector field around a charged particle that represents the force exerted per unit positive test charge at any point in space.

Gauss's Law: $\text{An integral form of Maxwell's equations relating}$ $\text{the net flux of an electric field through}$ $\text{a closed surface to the charge enclosed}$ $\text{by that surface.}$