Electronics

Quarter 1 – Module 6: The Coulomb’s Law

Objectives: At the end of the lesson, you must be able to:

1.Describe the concept of electric charge
2. Explain qualitatively the force electric charge creates
3. Apply Coulomb’s Law in solving problems on point charges
4. Compare Coulomb’s Law to the Law of Universal Gravitation

A. ELECTRIC CHARGE

Thales of Miletus (624–546 BCE) the Greek

philosopher who recorded that when amber (a
hard, translucent, fossilized resin from extinct
trees) was vigorously rubbed with a piece of fur,
a force was created that caused the
fur and the amber to be attracted to each other

Benjamin Franklin found that he could

concentrate charge in a “Leyden jar,”. He was the
one who introduced the terms “negative” and
“positive” charges. His most famous scientific
achievement was the discovery of the electrical
nature of lightning through his kite-flying experiment.

Leyden jar- an early version of what is now called a capacitor which is used to store
large amount of electric charge

Electroscope – is a device that determines the kind of charge of a body

B. THREE WAYS OF CHARGING A NEUTRAL BODY:

Charging involves the removal or addition of electrons

1. Friction – charging by rubbing two different materials.

Triboelectric series – is a ranking of some common materials based on

their ability to hold or give up electrons.
Ex. Which will be positively charged and which will be negatively charged
when the materials in the pair are rubbed against each other:
a. Human body and steel

Answer: Human body (+) , steel (-)

b. Nylon and celluloid

Answer: nylon (+), celluloid (-)

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 2. Conduction- is charging by contact between a neutral body.
3. Induction – does not involve contact between the neutral body and the charging body.

C. ELECTRIC FORCE:

 The force acts without physical contact between the two objects.
 The force can be either attractive or repulsive: If two interacting objects carry the same sign of charge, the force is repulsive; if the charges
are of opposite sign, the force is attractive. These interactions are referred to as electrostatic repulsion and electrostatic attraction,
respectively.
 Not all objects are affected by this force.
 The magnitude of the force decreases (rapidly) with increasing separation distance between the objects

D. COULOMB’S LAW

Coulomb's law states that the electrical force between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of the
quantity of charge on the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the separation distance between the two objects.
In equation form, Coulomb's law can be stated as

Where: Q1 represents the quantity of charge on object 1 (in Coulombs),

Q2 represents the quantity of charge on object 2 (in Coulombs),
d represents the distance of separation between the two objects (in meters).
k is a proportionality constant known as the Coulomb's law constant (9.0 x 109 N • m2 / C2)
The Coulomb's law equation provides an accurate description of the force between two objects whenever the objects act
as point charges. The sphere acts as a point charge with its excess charge located at its center. Since Coulomb's law applies to point
charges, the distance d in the equation is the distance between the centers of charge for both objects (not the distance between their
nearest surfaces).

E. CALCULATIONS USING COULOMB'S LAW

1. 1. Suppose that two point charges, each with a charge of +1.00 Coulomb are separated by a distance of
1.00 meter. Determine the magnitude of the electrical force of repulsion between them.

Given: Find:
Q1 = 1.00 C Q2 = 1.00 C d = 1.00 m Fe = ?
Fe = k • Q1 • Q2 / d2

Fe = (9.0 x 109 N•m2/C2) • (1.00 C) • (1.00 C) / (1.00 m)2

Fe = 9.0 x 109 N

The force of repulsion of two +1.00 Coulomb charges held 1.00 meter apart is 9 billion Newton. This is an incredibly large force that
compares in magnitude to the weight of more than 2000 jetliners.
Note: This problem was chosen primarily for its conceptual message. Objects simply do not acquire charges on the order of 1.00
Coulomb. In fact, more likely Q values are on the order of 10 -9 or possibly 10-6 Coulombs. For this reason, a Greek prefix is often used
in front of the Coulomb as a unit of charge. Charge is often expressed in units of microCoulomb (µC) and nanoCoulomb (nC). If a
problem states the charge in these units, it is advisable to first convert to Coulombs prior to substitution into the Coulomb's law
equation. The following unit equivalencies will assist in such conversions: 1 Coulomb = 106 microCoulomb 1 Coulomb =
109 nanoCoulomb
2. Two balloons are charged with an identical quantity and type of charge: -6.25 nC. They are held apart at a
separation distance of 61.7 cm. Determine the magnitude of the electrical force of repulsion between them.

Given: Find:
Q1 = -6.25 nC = 6.25 x 10-9 C Fe = ?
Q2 = -6.25 nC = -6.25 x 10-9 C
d = 61.7 cm = 0.617 m

Fe = k • Q1 • Q2 / d2
Fe = (9.0 x 109 N•m2/C2) • (6.25 x 10-9 C) • (6.25 x 10-9 C) / (0.617 m)2
Fe = 9.23 x 10-7

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 3. Two balloons with charges of +3.37 µC and -8.21 µC attract each other with a force of 0.0626 N. Determine
the separation distance between the two balloons.

Giv Find: d = ?
Q1 = +3.37 µC = +3.37 x 10-6 C
Q2 = -8.21 µC = -8.21 x 10-6 C
Felect = -0.0626 N (use a - force value since it is attractive.

4. The force between two identical charges separated by 1 cm is equal to

90N. Find the electric force.

Given: F = 90 q1 = charge of first bod q2 = charge of second body

r = 1 cm
Find: F =? Use the Coulomb’s Law equation

The problem says the two charges are identical, so q1 = q2 = q Substitute this

into the equation

Since we want the charges, solve for q

Enter the values for the variables. Remember to convert 1 cm to 0.01 meters to
keep the units consistent.

q = ±1.00×10-6 Coulombs
Since the charges are identical, they are either both positive or both negative.
This force will be repulsive.

Comparing Electrical and Gravitational Forces

Electrical force and gravitational force are the two non-contact forces.. Coulomb's law equation for electrical force bears a strong
resemblance to Newton's equation for universal gravitation.

Where : k = electric constant

G = gravitational constant
ASSESSMENT:
I. Multiple Choices
Directions: Use your understanding to answer the following questions. Write the letter of your answer in a separate
answer sheet.
1. The Q in Coulomb's law equation stands for the _____.
a. mass of a charged object b. charge of a charged object
c. the current of a charged object d. the distance between charged objects

2. When paper and acetate are rubbed together what will be their charges?
a. paper (+), acetate (-) b. paper (+) , acetate (+) c. (paper (-) , acetate(+) d. (paper (-), acetate (-)

3. What will happen to the electric force if the distance between two point charges is doubled?
a. It will also be doubled. c. It will be reduced by one-half.
b. It will be reduced by one fourth. d. It will be quadrupled.
4.The SI unit of charge is : a. Coulomb b. Newton c. Joule d. Watt
5.The SI unit of electric force is : a. Newton b. Coulomb c. Joule d. Watt
6. Which of the following is true?
a. Like charges attract; unlike charges also attract. c. Like charges repel; unlike charges attract.
b. Like charges attract; unlike charges repel. d. Like and unlike charges repel.
7. Electric force is: a. repulsive b. attractive c. either a or b d. both a and b
8. Which of the following is NOT true about electric force?

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 a. It is a short-ranged force. b. It is either attractive or repulsive.
c. Not all objects are affected by this force. d. As the distance between two charges increases, it also increases.
9. Who invented the LEYDEN Jar?
a. Charles Augustine de Coulomb b. Benjamin Franklin c. Thales of Mellitus d. Lee de Forest
10. What is a charge?
a. It is the deficiency or excess of electrons. c. It exhibits an electric force.
b. It is either positive or negative. d. All of the above.

II. PROBLEM SOLVING: Solve the following problems completely.

1.Determine the electrical force of attraction between two balloons with separate charges of +3.5 x 10 -8 C and -2.9 x 10-8 C when separated by a
distance of 0.65 m.
2. Determine the electrical force of attraction between two balloons that are charged with the opposite type of charge but the same quantity of
charge. The charge on the balloons is 6.0 x 10-7 C and they are separated by a distance of 0.50 m.
3. Joann has rubbed a balloon with wool to give it a charge of -1.0 x 10-6 C. She then acquires a plastic golf tube with a charge of +4.0 x 10-6 C
localized at a given position. She holds the location of charge on the plastic golf tube a distance of 50.0 cm above the balloon. Determine the
electrical force of attraction between the golf tube and the balloon.
4. A balloon with a charge of 4.0 µC is held a distance of 0.70 m from a second balloon having the same charge. Calculate the magnitude of the
repulsive force.
5. At what distance of separation must two 1.00-microCoulomb charges be positioned in order for the repulsive force between them to be
equivalent to the weight (on Earth) of a 1.00-kg mass?

SUMMATIVE TEST in ELECTRONICS

SY 2021-2022

Multiple Choices: Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. It is a branch of physics that deals with the emission, behavior and effects of electrons and with electronic devices.
A. electricity B. electronics C. electromagnetism D. electrolysis
2. It is a phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electric charges.
A. electronics B. electricity C. electric current D. electric circuit
3. It is commonly used to generate electricity in power plants.
A. friction B. pressure C. magnetism D. light
4. What can you conclude from the situation? An electrician replaced the wire connected to the circuit breaker
A. Thicker wires can carry more electric current. C. Thicker wires have more resistance.
B. New wire is better than an old wire in conducting current. D. The old wire lost its aesthetic value
5. Which of the following is NOT true about the valence of an atom?
A. It is an indication of the atom’s ability to lose or gain electrons.
B. It determines the electrical and chemical properties of an atom.
C. The greater the number of electrons in the valence shell, the greater is the ability of the atom to conduct electric current.

D. Both silver and copper have a valence of 1.

6. Elements that have 1 or 2 electrons at their outermost shells are called _____.
A. Conductors B. insulators C. semiconductors D. superconductors
7. The following describes electric current except:
A. It is due to flowing electrons. C. It is measured in amperes.
B. It is directly proportional to the resistance D. It is measured by an ammeter
8. One ampere of electric current is equal to ________ electrons passing a point in the conductor per second.
A. 6.24 x 1018 B. 7.24 x 1023 C. 5.24 x 1021 D. 8.24 x 1031
9. One million Hertz is equal to
A. 1 Gigahertz B. 1 Megahertz C. 1 kilohertz D . 1 Terahertz
10. Fourteen Megawatts is equal to ____Terawatts
A. 1.4 x 10−6 B. 1.4 x 10−5 C. 1.4 x 10−12 D. 1.4 x 10−15
11. In which component of an electric circuit is electrical energy converted from other forms?
A. connecting wire B. load C. source D. switch
12. A battery is an example of
A. a DC source B. an AC source C. a charger D. a load
13.Which of the following is a voltage source?
A. a car battery B. a dry cell C. rubbing a rubber rod with fur D. all of the above
14. If the voltage is doubled what will happen to the electric current?
A. It will also be doubled. C. It will be reduced to one-half .
B. It will be reduced to one fourth. D. It will remain the same.
15. What is the voltage drop across an electric bulb if the current passing through it is 4A and its resistance is 50 ohms?
A. 0.8 V B. 12.5 v C. 20 v D. 200 v
16. When the resistance of an electric circuit is increased, the current through the circuit
A. becomes infinite B. decreases. C. increases D. remains the same
17. Which of the following is an insulator?
A. distilled water B. earth C. human body D. Salt solution
18. Which of the following is inversely proportional to the resistance of a wire?
A. Length of the wire B. temperature C. thickness of the wire D. resistivity
19. What will happen to the resistance of a wire if you increase its length?

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 A. It will decrease. C. It will also increase.
B. It will remain the same. D. It will be reduced to zero.
20. Which statement best explains why electric wires are usually made of copper?
A. Copper conducts electric current. C. Copper has low resistivity compared to the other metals.
B. Copper has high resistivity. D. Copper is readily available and cheap.
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