Electric potential is one of the most important concepts in electrostatics. We have already seen that electric charges produce electric fields and that electric fields can exert forces on other charges. But there is another way to understand the electrical…
Electrostatic induction is one of the most interesting phenomena in electrostatics because it shows that an object can become electrically charged without actually touching another charged object. At first, this may seem surprising. We normally imagine that to charge an…
When we study electrostatics, we often talk about electric charges, electric fields, conductors and capacitors. There is another important group of materials that plays a major role in all of these topics. These materials are called dielectrics. A dielectric is…
Capacitors are among the most common components found in electrical and electronic devices. You can find them inside mobile chargers, computers, televisions, power supplies, cameras, motors, audio equipment, air conditioners, and countless other devices. At first glance, a capacitor may…
When we study electrostatics, we usually start with electric charge and electric field. But there is another very important concept that helps us understand how electric charges behave: electric potential. The word “potential” can initially sound confusing. It is not…
Electric dipole is an interesting concept in electrostatics because it introduces us to a special arrangement of electric charges. You may already know that positive and negative charges attract each other. Now imagine placing a positive charge and an equal…
Electrostatics may sound like a topic that belongs only in a physics textbook, but its effects are all around us. Have you ever seen a balloon stick to a wall after rubbing it against your hair? Have you experienced a…
Why are electrical wires made from metals such as copper and aluminum, while the outside of those same wires is covered with plastic or rubber? Why can you safely hold the plastic covering of an electrical cable, but touching the…
Have you ever rubbed a balloon against your hair and watched it stick to a wall? Or noticed your hair standing up after removing a woollen sweater? These are simple examples of objects becoming electrically charged. But how does an…
Have you ever rubbed a balloon against your hair and watched it stick to a wall? Or have you felt a tiny electric shock after walking on a carpet and touching a metal object? These are simple examples of something…
Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter responsible for electrical interactions. The SI unit of charge is coulomb (C). There are two types of charges. 1. Positive charge 2. Negative charge Like charges repel each other while unlike charges…
Electrostatics is the branch of physics that deals with electric charges at rest and the forces produced by them. Every electrostatic phenomenon originates from the presence and interaction of electric charges.
Alternate vertices carry charges +q and −q. Find the magnitude and direction of the electric field at the center of the hexagon.