If the two charges have the same sign, the electrostatic force between them is repulsive if they have different signs, the force between them is attractive. The force is along the straight line joining them. '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.' Because they are large at small scales, Coulomb forces between electrons and the positively charged nuclei play a very large role in how atoms and molecules behave. Electrostatic forces play a large role at the nanoscale for instance, the force between an electron and a proton, which together make up a hydrogen atom, is about 36 orders of magnitude stronger than the gravitational force acting between them. Electric charges can neither be created nor destroyed they exist in discrete units. It controls how elementary particles are influenced by a magnetic field or an electric field. Electric charge can be said to be the fundamental feature of matter. There are many examples of electrostatic phenomena, from those as simple as the attraction of plastic wrap to one's hand after it is removed from a package, to the apparently spontaneous explosion of grain silos, the damage of electronic components during manufacturing, and photocopier & laser printer operation. The Principle of Superposition is Electrostatics. Such forces are described by Coulomb's law. Electrostatic phenomena arise from the forces that electric charges exert on each other. The Greek word for amber, ἤλεκτρον ( ḗlektron), was thus the source of the word ' electricity'. Since classical times, it has been known that some materials, such as amber, attract lightweight particles after rubbing. This effect is also the cause of static cling in clothes.Įlectrostatics is a branch of physics that studies slow-moving or stationary electric charges. The electric field of the charged fur causes polarization of the molecules of the foam due to electrostatic induction, resulting in a slight attraction of the light plastic pieces to the fur. Foam peanuts clinging to a cat's fur due to static electricity.
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