High School Physics
Laser printers use static electricity to print documents. Let’s see how it is done. Inside the printer, an object called the image drum is given a positive charge. A laser is then shone onto the drum. This creates a negative charge on parts of the drum (see Figure 1). This negative charge is given the […]
In this post, we will solve a few numerical problems using Coulomb’s law in a step-by-step approach. Before that, we will quickly revise this law and the equation related to this law. We require this equation of Coulomb’s Law to solve the numerical problems. Electrostatic Force & Coulomb’s Law Like charges repel each other while […]
Gauss’ law was formulated by the German mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777–1855). In presenting Gauss’ law, it will be necessary to introduce a new idea called electric flux. The idea of flux involves both the electric field and the surface through which it passes. By bringing together the electric field and the surface […]
Robert Millikan measured e, the magnitude of the elementary charge on an electron, and demonstrated the quantized nature of this charge with the help of a brilliant set of experiments from 1909 to 1913. The experiment is known as The Millikan Oil-Drop Experiment. His apparatus, diagrammed in Figure 1, contains two parallel metallic plates. Oil […]
Let’s find out what the Van de Graaff Generator actually is and what principle acts behind it. It’s a scientific device based on the principles of electrostatics. Van de Graaff Generator is an electrostatic device that can produce potential differences of the order of a few million volts. It was named after its designer Robert […]
In this post we will find what static discharge is and how lightning occurs. Also we will answer a few FAQs on static electricity. What is static discharge – can you explain with an example? The sudden flow of electrons is static discharge. This can be explained with the incident that happens when you have […]
Unlike conductors, the electrons in insulators (non-conductors) are bound to the atoms of the insulator and cannot move around freely through the material. However, a charged object can still exert a force on a neutral insulator due to a phenomenon called polarisation. If a positively charged rod is brought close to a neutral insulator such […]
This Electrostatics [PDF notes] is primarily for the 10th & 12th grade physics syllabus of different international boards including ICSE, CBSE, etc. We hope, the students appearing for IGCSE, AP Physics, GCSE, ISC, and JEE MAIN & NEET Physics will find this Electrostatics class note helpful. Here, we present you 2 separate PDF Notes with separate chapters of electrostatics […]
This post is going to cover Static electricity, electrostatic charge, and related topics with important questions and answers. This Q&A set will be helpful for students of different boards including IGCSE, GCSE, ICSE, ISC, CBSE, etc. Explain Static Electricity with common examples When a piece of hard rubber, a glass rod, or a plastic ruler […]
In this post, we will first see what an electroscope is and then we will discuss: – how an electroscope can help to detect the presence of a charge in a test body? – and how an electroscope can find the sign or polarity of that charge? What is an electroscope? An electroscope is a […]
The SI unit of energy joule is too large a unit of energy for the microscopic world. A more convenient unit of energy for the microscopic world is the electronvolt, eV. eV by the way is not part of the SI system. What is electronvolt? | Define electronvolt We define the electronvolt as the work […]
Let’s solve 2 numerical problems based on emf and potential difference. Numerical problems based on emf and potential difference 1] If the emf of a battery is 9 V, how much energy is converted from chemical to electrical when 2 C of charge flow? 2] What is the p.d. across a resistor if 24 J […]
The cell uses chemical energy to place the charges in a position of high potential i.e electrical potential energy is stored in a cell. As the charges flow through the resistor, this electrical potential energy is converted to heat, so the resistor gets hot.
Voltages, Electromotive Force (emf), and Potential Difference (PD) – These 3 terms are often used while we discuss electrical circuits. Hence exactly knowledge about these certainly helps us to understand one circuit. Here we will provide a brief definition or meaning of these three terms. What is Voltage? The electrical quantity Voltage is a measure […]
Coulomb Force Strength versus Gravitational Force Strength – How Strong is the Electrostatic or Coulomb Force Relative to the Gravitational Force? To find this we will calculate the electrostatic force and the gravitational force between an electron and proton separated by 0.530×10-10 m. (This distance is their average separation in a hydrogen atom) This will […]
A space that causes charged particles to accelerate is said to have an Electric Field. By definition, the electric field (E) at a given point in the space surrounding a source charge is the ratio of the electric force (F) exerted on a test charge (q) placed at that point to the magnitude of that […]
Coulomb’s law gives the electric force acting between two point charges. A point charge is a pointlike object with a nonzero electric charge. Coulomb’s law says that the force between two charges having magnitudes q1 and q2 separated by a distance r is F = ( k q1 q2) / r2 where k is a […]
Gravitational & Electric Forces: Similarities & Differences – This topic is a comparative study between Electric force and Gravitational force. The electric force is related to electric charges and Gravitational force is applied between any two masses. The electric force is also called electrostatic force. A force of either attraction or repulsion that a body […]
In this post, we will discuss the concepts of triboelectric charging. Before taking that, we will quickly cover the electric charge, types of charges (positive charge and negative charge), and the interaction between like charges and opposite charges. We will also cover how Law of conservation of electric charge is maintained during triboelectric charging. An atom […]
