Electrostatics Basics

1. What you need to remember is that this is all about the electron!
2. You must remember that the charge of a single electron is -1,6 x 10^-19C.
3. You must also remember that the charge of a single proton is +1,6 x 10^-19C.
4. All other objects become charged because of having extra or lesser electrons than protons.
5. You should think of charge as "weight". If the object is "charge heavy" it must have a lot of extra electrons!
6. If an objects charge is -1,6 x 10^-19C then it has only ONE EXTRA electron.
7. If an objects charge is anything else such as, -5 x 10^-15C then it obviously has a lot of extra electrons.

1. Charge of one electron is Q = -1,6 x 10^-19C
2. Charge of one proton is Q = +1,6 x 10^-19C
3. How to work out new charges when charged objects make contact with each other.
4. Like charges repel, and unlike charges attract.
5. Use Coulombs Law to calculate the magnitude of these forces.
6. Draw Electric Field patterns.
7. Calculate Electric Field strengths.
8. Calculate Electrical Potential Energy.

• Example 1
  5 x 10^-6C can be written as 5uC (pronounced microcoulombs)


• Example 2
  -3 x 10^-9C can be written as -3nC (pronounced nanocoulombs)


• Example 3
  8 x 10^-3C can be written as 8mC (pronounced millicoulombs)