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Coulomb's Law (Electric Force) definitions Flashcards

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Coulomb's Law (Electric Force) definitions
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  • Coulomb's Law
    Describes the electric force between two charges, which can be attractive or repulsive based on the charges' nature.
  • Electric Force
    The force exerted between two charges, calculated using Coulomb's Law, and can be either attractive or repulsive.
  • Coulomb's Constant
    A constant value of 8.99 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2 used in Coulomb's Law to calculate electric force.
  • Elementary Charge
    The fundamental charge of a proton or electron, approximately 1.6 x 10^-19 C.
  • Repulsive Force
    A force that pushes like charges away from each other.
  • Attractive Force
    A force that pulls unlike charges towards each other.
  • Gravitational Force
    The force of attraction between two masses, weaker than electric force in atomic scales.
  • Hydrogen Atom
    An atom consisting of one proton and one electron, used to compare electric and gravitational forces.
  • Tension
    The force in a wire or string that counteracts the repulsive force between like charges.
  • Proton
    A positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom.
  • Electron
    A negatively charged particle orbiting the nucleus of an atom.
  • Distance
    The separation between two charges, denoted as 'r' in Coulomb's Law.
  • Newton
    The SI unit of force, used to measure electric and gravitational forces.
  • Equilibrium
    A state where forces are balanced, such as tension equaling electric force in a wire.
  • Magnitude
    The size or amount of a quantity, such as the strength of a force, without regard to its direction.