Electrical Force: Coulomb’s Law, Formula & Charged Particles

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Jasmine Grover

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Electrical force is the attractive force between the electrons and the nucleus. On a small scale, the force is the interaction between two charged particles. The electric force exerts over objects. The electrical force consists of two different types of charges; the positive electric charge and the negative electric charge.

Key Terms: Force, Charge, Nucleus, Newton, Attract, Repel, Newton’s Law, Electrostatics, Proton, Electrons, Electric force, Electric charge, Motion


What is Electrical Force?

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Electric force is an attractive or repulsive interaction between any two charged bodies. The impact of the electric force on any object is described by Newton’s laws of motion. The electric force is said to be the force that is exerted over the objects. 

The electric force existing between two electrons is equal to the electric force between two protons when they are placed at equal distances. The electric force is not dependent on the mass of the object but is dependent on the quantity called electric charge. The examples of electrical force have been mentioned below:

  • Electric circuits
  • When a cloth is rubbed by a dryer, the static friction that exists
  • The shock that is experienced when a doorknob is touched
  • The charge that a bulb contains

Electrical Force

Electrical Force

Frequently Asked Question On Electric Force

Ques. Three charges as shown in the figure below. Calculate the electric force experienced by charge B. k = 9 x 109 Nm2C−2, 1 μC = 10−6 C.

Three charges as shown in the figure below

Ans. There is two electric force acting on charge B, that is the electric force between charge A and charge B (FAB) and also the electric force between charge B and C (FBC). The electric force experienced by charge B is the result of force FAB and force FBC.

The electric force between charge A and B :

FAB = k \(\frac{q_Aq_B}{r_{AB^2}}\)

FAB\(\frac{(9 \times 10^9)(10^{-10})}{10^{-2}}\)

FAB = 90 N

Charge A is positive and charge B is positive so that the direction of FAB points to charge C.

The electric force between charge B and C:

FBC = k \(\frac{q_Bq_C}{r_{BC^2}}\)

FBC\(\frac{(9 \times 10^9)(2 \times10^{-10})}{10^{-2}}\)

FBC = 180 N

Charge B is positive and charge C is also positive so that FBC points to charge A.

The electric force experienced by charge B:

FB = FBC – FAB = 180 – 90 = 90 N.

The magnitude of the electric force experienced by the charge B (FB) is 90 Newton. The direction of FB is the same as the direction of FBC points to charge A

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What is Coulomb’s Law?

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Coulomb's law is used to find the quantity of force existing between two electrically charged particles. The force existing between these two charges is known as the electrostatic force or Coulomb's force.

Coulomb's Law

Coulomb's Law

Coulomb’s law states that finding the value of the electrostatic force in between two charges force is directly proportional to the scalar multiplication of those two charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance existing between those two charges. Hence, the law defines the quantity of electrostatic force existing between the charges in a stationary position.

On what factor does the size of the electric force depend on?

It is known that the electric force between two electrons is equivalent to the electric force between two protons after being placed at equal distances. This means that the electric force isn’t based on the mass of the object, but depends on the quantity which is also known as the electric charge.

Define the meaning of one coulomb of charge.

One coulomb of charge mainly expresses that charge, if placed at rest in a vacuum at one meter of distance from an equal and similar stationary charge, can repel it. It is repelled by it with a force of 9 x 109 newton.


Formula Of Electrical Force

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The formula is electrical force can be expressed as:

\(\overrightarrow{F} = K \frac{q_0 q_1}{r^2}\hat{r}\)

Where,

  • F= Force
  • K= Coulomb’s Constant (8.987 * 109 N.m2.C*2)
  • q1 and q= Signed magnitude of the charges
  • r = Distance between the charges

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Electric Force and Charged Particles

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Electric force is present between charged particles. Very small particles are present inside the atoms known as electrons and protons. The protons carry a positive charge and the electron carries a negative charge.

Both are the smallest existing charged particles. The other objects are charged due to the imbalance occurring in the quantities of protons and electrons inside the objects made up of atoms.

Electric Filed Lines and Force

Electric Filed Lines and Force

The protons are unable to move because they are firmly held by the nucleus of the atom whereas electrons have the freedom to move because they are away from the nucleus. So they move freely within the atom. It is also easy for the electrons to relocate from one atom to the other consequently creating an imbalance in the number of electrons and protons and when this action continuously takes place in many atoms in an object the object becomes charged. 

The imbalance of protons and electrons causes the hair to stand up when brushed on a cold dry day. Brushing of hair causes the transfer of electrons to the comb and then the strand of hair becomes positively charged. The same charges repel each other due to which each strand of the hair gets away from each other.

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Things To Remember

  • The attractive or repulsive interaction between any two charged bodies is known as an electric force. 
  • Like any force, the impact of the electric force on any object is described by Newton’s laws of motion. 
  • The electric force is not dependent on the mass of the object but is dependent on the quantity called electric charge.
  • The protons carry a positive charge and the electron carries a negative charge.
  • The electric force is present between charged particles. 

Important Questions

  1. Does High Resistance Mean Low Current?
  2. In a Potentiometer Arrangement, a Cell of Emf 1.25 v Gives a Balance Point at 35 cm Length of the Wire. If the Cell Is Replaced by Another Cell, the Balance Point Shifts to 63 cm, Then Emf of the Second Cell Is?
  3. What Is The Working Principle Of Voltmeter​?
  4. n identical light bulbs, each designed to draw P power from a certain voltage supply, are joined in series across that supply. The total power which they will draw is?
  5. Two bulbs are rated (P1, V) and (P2, V). If they are connected (i) in series and (ii) in parallel across a supply V. Find the power dissipated in the two combinations in terms of P1 and P2.
  6. The electrical resistance of any object is?
  7. Find the current through a resistance 2 ohm if the voltage across the resistance is 6V.
  8. How is voltage related to resistance?
  9. A battery of emf 10 v and internal resistance 3 omega is connected to a resistor. The current in the circuit is 0.5A. The terminal voltage of the battery when the circuit is closed is?
  10. With same emf of 10 V, a combination of two batteries with different internal resistances of 20 ohm and 5 ohm, is attached to parallel combination of 30 ohm and R ohm. Find value of R.
  11. A 10 m long potentiometer wire is connected to battery having a steady voltage. A Leclanche Cell is balanced at 4 m length of the wire. If the length is kept the same, but its cross-section is doubled, the null Point will be obtained at?

Previous Year Questions

  1. Electrical Force Between Two Point Charges Is 200… [GUJCET 2008]
  2. The Net Electric Force On A Charge Of 3 C At The… [JKCET 2013]
  3. The Given Figure Gives Electric Lines Of Force Due…. 
  4. Electric Lines Of Force About A Negative Point… 
  5. In A Potentiometer The Null Point Is Received At 7….  [DUET 2007]
  6. The Electrical Permittivity And Magnetic Permeabil…. [DUET 2003]
  7. In A Potentiometer Circuit A Cell Of Emf 1 5 V Giv….. [NEET 2021]
  8. A 2 V Battery A 15 Resistor And A Potentiometer O… [JCECE 2011]
  9. In The Circuit Given In Figures 1 And 2 Are Ammeter…. [KEAM 1999]
  10. In The Circuit Shown In Figure Neglecting Source R…. [KCET 2001]
  11. A Horizontal Rod Of Mass 0 01 Kg And Length 10 Cm… [VITEEE 2015]
  12. A Current Of 5a Is Passing Through A Metallic Wire… [VITEEE 2006]
  13. Charge Passing Through A Conductor Of Cross Sectio… [VITEEE 2012]
  14. A Square Loop Carrying A Steady Current I Is Place… [VITEEE 2012]
  15. A Potentiometer Circuit Is Set Up As Shown The Pot….. [NEET 2010]
  16. Consider The Following Two Statements A Kirchhoff….. [NEET 2010]
  17. Three Resistances Each Of 4 Are Connected To Form… [NEET 1993]
  18. A Current Of 2 A Passing Through A Conductor Produ….  [NEET 1989]
  19. What Will Be The Equivalent Resistance Between The… [NEET 1996]

Sample Questions

Ques. Define electrical force. (3 Marks)

Ans. The electric force is an attractive or repulsive interaction between any two charged bodies. The impact of the electric force on any object is described by Newton’s laws of motion. The electric force is said to be the force that is exerted over the objects. 

The electric force existing between two electrons is equal to the electric force between two protons when they are placed at equal distances. The electric force is not dependent on the mass of the object but is dependent on the quantity called electric charge

The examples of electrical force have been mentioned below:

  • Electric circuits
  • When a cloth is rubbed by a dryer, the static friction that exists
  • The shock that is experienced when a doorknob is touched
  • The charge that a bulb contains

Ques. Explain Coulomb’s law. (2 Marks)

Ans. The quantity of force existing between two electrically charged particles, to find its value we use Coulomb's law. The force that exists between these two charges is known as the electrostatic force or Coulomb's force. This law tells us about the quantity of electrostatic force existing between the charges in a stationary position.

Ques. Give some examples of electric force in everyday life. (3 Marks)

Ans. Some of the examples of electric force in everyday life are given below:

  • Electric Circuits
  • Abrasive paper, having positively charged particles is used to smoothen the rough surface. It is attracted to the negatively charged particles of the adhesive paper.
  • When you rub your hair with a balloon. The balloon will have the ability to stick directly to the wall without any cello tape. This is because enough static charge is produced when both things are rubbed together.
  • When a cloth is rubbed by a dryer, the static friction that exists

Ques. In a uniform field, a free proton and a free electron exist. Which of them experiences greater force and greater acceleration. (2 Marks)

Ans. F= kq, the charge of both the free electron and the free proton is similar therefore the force on both of them will be the same.

The acceleration is given by a=F/m. The mass of an electron is lesser than the mass of a proton and so the acceleration of the electron will be greater.

Ques. Why can’t two electric lines of force intersect each other? (2 Marks)

Ans. Imagine, two electric lines of force intersecting each other. Then, at the point of intersection two tangents will be formed. The two tangents created will show the two directions of the lines of the electric field. Two directions of the electric field lines are not possible at a given point and therefore two electric lines of force cannot intersect each other.

Ques. On what does the size of electrical force depend upon? (2 Marks)

Ans. As we know on placing at an equal distance the electric force between two electrons is equal to the electric force between two protons. This defines that the electric force is not based on the mass of the object, but wholely depends upon the quantity known as the electric charge.

Ques. State the formula of electrical force. (3 Marks)

Ans. The formula of electrical force is

Where;

Fe - Force

Ke - Coulomb’s Constant (8.987 * 109 N.m2.C*2)

q1 and q2 - the signed magnitude of the charges

r - distance between the charges

Ques. List four examples of electrical force. (2 Marks)

Ans. The examples of electrical force have been mentioned below:

  • Electric circuits
  • When a cloth is rubbed by a dryer, the static friction that exists
  • The shock that is experienced when a doorknob is touched
  • The charge that a bulb contains

Ques. What type of force is electrical force? (1 Mark)

Ans. An electrical force is an interaction of either attractive force or repulsive force between two charged bodies. This force is similar to other forces because of its effects and impacts on a particular object which Newton's law of motion can easily demonstrate.

Ques. On what two things does electrical force depend upon? (1 Mark)

Ans. The magnitude of the electric force, or the amount of force in which objects attract or repel, depends upon the distance between the two charged objects and the amount of charge each object carries.

Ques. What creates the electrical force? (1 Mark)

Ans. The mutual interactions between two charges end upon creating electrical force.

Ques. What is the SI Unit of current? (1 Mark)
(a) Watt
(b) Volt
(c) Ampere
(d) Meter

Ans. c. Ampere

EXPLANATION: The SI unit of current is Ampere (A). The current through a wire is called one ampere if one coulomb of charge flows through the wire per second.

Ques. What is the number of electrons that constitutes a current of one Ampere? (1 Mark)
a) 6.25 × 1018
b) 2.25 × 1018
c) 2.25 × 10-18
d) 6.25 × 10-18

Ans. a. 6.25 × 1018

EXPLANATION: Number of electrons, n = Current(I)×time(t) / Chargeof1electron(e)

Ques. Which of these is a correct definition of conventional current? (1 Mark)
a) The current which remains static
b) Current that flows from higher potential to lower potential
c) Current constituted by the flow of ions
d) Current that flows from lower potential to higher potential 

Ans. b

EXPLANATION: The current that flows from a point at the higher which is positive potential to a point at lower negative potential is called conventional current. The direction of motion of positive charges is taken as the direction of electric current.

Ques. Which type of current is flowing through a circuit? (1 Mark)
(a) Conventional Current
(b) Electronic Current
(c) Potential Current
(d) Static Current

Ans. b. Electronic Current

EXPLANATION: The current in a circuit is due to the flow of electrons. Therefore, the direction of the conventional current is opposite to the direction of the flow of electrons.

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CBSE CLASS XII Related Questions

  • 1.
    The figure shows three point charges kept at the vertices of triangle ABC. The net electric field, due to this system of charges, at the midpoint M of base BC will be:

      • \( \frac{q}{4 \pi \epsilon_0 l^2} \) pointing along MA
      • \( \frac{q}{\pi \epsilon_0 l^2} \) pointing along AM
      • \( \frac{q}{2 \pi \epsilon_0 l^2} \) pointing along AM
      • Zero

    • 2.
      What is displacement current (\( i_d \))? Considering the case of charging of a capacitor, show that \( i_d = \varepsilon_0 \frac{d\Phi_E}{dt} \). What is the value of \( i_d \) for a conductor across which a constant voltage is applied?


        • 3.
          Photoemission of electrons occurs from a metal (\( \phi_0 = 1.96 \, \text{eV} \)) when light of frequency \( 6.4 \times 10^{14} \, \text{Hz} \) is incident on it. Calculate: Energy of a photon in the incident light, The maximum kinetic energy of the emitted electrons, and The stopping potential.


            • 4.
              Two parallel plate capacitors X and Y are connected in series to a 6 V battery. They have the same plate area and same plate separation but capacitor X has air between its plates, whereas capacitor Y contains a material of dielectric constant 4. Calculate the capacitances of X and Y, if the equivalent capacitance of the combination of X and Y is \( 4 \, \mu\text{F} \). Calculate the potential difference across the plates of X and Y.


                • 5.
                  Draw a circuit diagram of a full-wave rectifier using p-n junction diodes. Explain its working and show the input-output waveforms.


                    • 6.
                      If Bohr’s quantization postulate (angular momentum \( = \frac{nh}{2\pi} \)) is a basic law of nature, it should be equally valid for the case of planetary motion also. Why, then, do we never speak of quantization of orbits of planets around the Sun? Explain.

                        CBSE CLASS XII Previous Year Papers

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