Electrostatics studies the electromagnetic interaction of subatomic particles. Coulomb’s law, established in the 1780s, defines the force needed to maintain atomic cohesion. Electrostatic phenomena have been observed since ancient times, with contemporary examples including static shocks and charged balloons.
Electrostatics is the scientific discipline that involves the study of various phenomena caused by slow or even stationary electric charges. Researchers study the electromagnetic interaction, the force that holds an electromagnetic field together, of subatomic particles such as electrons and protons. These particles produce electromagnetic fields by being electrically charged with a positive or negative charge. As one of the four fundamental forces of physics, electromagnetic forces interact with particles in a variety of ways, including the minimal reactions observed in electrostatics.
Between an electron and a proton, the electrostatic force is very strong, despite its weak aspect. For example, a hydrogen atom, made up of a single electron and a single proton, has a gravitational force holding them together. However, according to the order of magnitude of the force, the electrostatic force between them is 1024 greater than the effective gravity between each subatomic particle. The same is true regardless of the atom, as each contains equal amounts of electrons and protons to balance charge.
The equation to establish this theory comes from a French physicist in the 1780s named Charles Augustin de Coulomb. Working with rudimentary theories of electromagnetism, he determined the level of force needed to maintain atomic cohesion in the electromagnetic force despite the distance between charges. This became known as Coulomb’s law, one of the foundational theories that define the science of electrostatics.
Knowledge of electrostatics has been known since ancient times when the ancient Greeks noticed that amber attracted particles of light when rubbed. This prompted them to define the word electron, which eventually created the modern terminology of electricity. Contemporary examples of electrostatic phenomena can be seen when a person rubs a rubber balloon in their hair and attaches it to another object. The balloon will hold an electrostatic charge, attracting it to another surface.
Charge exchanges occur whenever two surfaces come into contact and separate. However, the most prevalent example of electrostatics occurs in materials that contain some sort of resistance to the flow of electricity. Due to the fact that the transfer of charges to or from a resistive surface they hold their charge for a longer period of time, making observation possible. These charges eventually lose their cohesion and are neutralized in the form of a discharge. This is what happens when the phenomenon of a static shock occurs.
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