Electrostatics
Electrostatics is a branch of physics that studies electric charges at rest. Since classical physics, it has been known that some materials such as amber attract lightweight particles after rubbing. The Greek word for amber, ήλεκτρον, or electron, was the source of the word 'electricity'. Electrostatic phenomena arise from the forces that electric charges exert on each other and are described by Coulomb's Law. Even though electrostatically induced forces seem to be rather weak, some electrostatic forces such as the one between an electron and a proton, that together make up a hydrogen atom, is about 36 orders of magnitude stronger than the gravitational force acting between them.
History[edit | edit source]
The study of electrostatics has a long history. In ancient Greece, the philosopher Thales of Miletus observed that amber could attract other objects when rubbed. This phenomenon was later named "electricity" after the Greek word for amber. In the 17th century, scientists such as William Gilbert and Robert Boyle conducted experiments to understand the properties of electric charge. In the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment, demonstrating that lightning is a form of electricity.
Principles[edit | edit source]
Electrostatics involves the buildup of charge on the surface of objects due to contact with other surfaces. This is because certain objects can "donate" electrons, causing the object gaining electrons to become negatively charged, and the object losing electrons to become positively charged. The force of the charges on an object is described by Coulomb's Law, which states that like charges repel each other while opposite charges attract.
Applications[edit | edit source]
Electrostatics has many applications in everyday life and in various scientific fields. For example, it is used in photocopying, laser printing, and certain types of air filters. In medicine, electrostatics is used in technologies such as X-ray machines and defibrillators.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
| Electrostatics Resources | |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates, categories Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
