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Investigatory Project With Images

The investigatory project aimed to estimate the charge induced on two identical Styrofoam balls using Coulomb's Law. The experiment involved suspending the balls, charging them, and measuring the distance and angle of deflection to calculate the induced charge, which was found to be approximately 1.2 × 10⁻⁸ C. Precautions included ensuring identical ball characteristics and conducting the experiment in a controlled environment.

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8 views4 pages

Investigatory Project With Images

The investigatory project aimed to estimate the charge induced on two identical Styrofoam balls using Coulomb's Law. The experiment involved suspending the balls, charging them, and measuring the distance and angle of deflection to calculate the induced charge, which was found to be approximately 1.2 × 10⁻⁸ C. Precautions included ensuring identical ball characteristics and conducting the experiment in a controlled environment.

Uploaded by

manvirsidhu0005saab
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Investigatory Project

Estimating the Charge Induced on Identical Styrofoam Balls Using


Coulomb's Law

Objective
To estimate the charge induced on each of the two identical Styrofoam balls suspended in a
vertical plane using Coulomb’s Law.

Apparatus Required
- 2 Styrofoam balls (identical size and mass)
- Non-conducting thread or nylon thread
- Retort stand or wooden support
- Protractor
- Ruler or scale
- Electronic balance (for measuring mass)
- Plastic rod and wool or fur (for charging)
- Graph paper (for calculations and plotting)
- Camera/smartphone for pictures
- Calculator

Principle Used
This experiment is based on Coulomb’s Law, which states that the force of attraction or
repulsion between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the charges
and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them:

F = (1 / 4πε₀) * (q² / r²)

At equilibrium, the tension in the thread provides components balancing both weight and
electrostatic repulsion.

Experimental Setup
Below is a visual representation of the setup:
Figure: Setup Side View

Procedure
1. Suspend two identical Styrofoam balls using threads of equal length (~30 cm) from a
common point.
2. Rub both balls using a charged plastic rod to induce equal charges.
3. Observe that the balls repel and come to rest at an equilibrium distance.
4. Measure:
- The distance between the centers of the two balls (x).
- The length of the thread (l).
- The angle of deflection θ (or use trigonometry: sinθ = x / 2l).
5. Measure the mass m of one Styrofoam ball using an electronic balance.
6. Calculate the electrostatic force F: F = mg * tanθ
7. Use Coulomb’s Law to calculate q:
q = √[(4πε₀ r² F)] or q = √[(4πε₀ r² * mg * tanθ)]
where ε₀ = 8.85 × 10⁻¹² C²/N·m²
Figure: Charging the Balls

Observation Table
Quantity Value
Mass of each ball (m) 1.5 g (0.0015 kg)
Length of thread (l) 30 cm
Distance between balls (x) 6 cm
Calculated θ ≈ 5.74°
Force (F) ≈ 1.47 × 10⁻⁴ N
Distance r 0.06 m
Calculated charge (q) ≈ 1.2 × 10⁻⁸ C

Figure: Top View Measuring Separation


Result
The estimated charge on each Styrofoam ball was found to be approximately 1.2 × 10⁻⁸ C.

Conclusion
The experiment successfully estimated the induced charge using the principles of
electrostatics. Symmetry in setup and accurate measurement improves precision. The
charges were small, as expected from static friction charging.

Precautions
- Ensure the balls are identical in mass and size.
- Conduct the experiment in a draft-free environment.
- Avoid touching the balls after charging.
- Measure the angle and distance accurately.

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