Acceleration under Coloumb's Law

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the application of Coulomb's Law to understand acceleration in the context of electrostatic forces. Participants explore how mass relates to acceleration in this framework, questioning the assignment of mass to different particles in the equations derived from Coulomb's Law.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents the equation F = q q/r^2 and questions which particle's mass applies in the context of acceleration.
  • Another participant suggests that mass can be assigned to either particle, indicating that the acceleration field can be defined similarly to gravitational fields.
  • A different participant challenges the notion that acceleration is imparted by mass, asserting that the equations represent electrostatic force rather than an acceleration field.
  • Further clarification is offered that while acceleration is not imparted by mass, it is inversely proportional to mass, suggesting that greater mass results in lesser acceleration.
  • One participant expresses confusion about the assignment of mass in the equation and later clarifies that it can be assigned to either particle depending on the desired measurement of acceleration.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants exhibit disagreement regarding the interpretation of mass in relation to acceleration and the characterization of the equations as representing fields. There is no consensus on whether the equations describe an acceleration field or simply electrostatic forces.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty regarding the definitions of terms like "field" and the implications of mass on acceleration, indicating a need for clearer definitions and assumptions in the discussion.

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F = q q/r^2
ma = q q / r^2

Under which particle does the mass apply to?
 
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Okay I've got it figured out. So like the acceleration field of gravitation, we may choose to define m as m_1 or m_2. And that gives you the equation of what field a mass imparts.

So
[tex]a = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{m_2 r^2}[/tex]
is the field of acceleration imparted by mass of q_1, in other words m_1
 
Last edited:
That's not field. Those are equations for the electrostatic force. acceleration is not imparted by mass.
 
xAxis said:
That's not field. Those are equations for the electrostatic force. acceleration is not imparted by mass.

Yes it isn't an electric field, but it can be easily thought of as an acceleration field. We can think of the equation as the acceleration of the second particle is inversely proportional to the its mass. m_2 is the mass of particle_2 with q_2,

Acceleration is not imparted by mass, but acceleration lessens when the mass is higher.

When I say field, I'm talking about an affect that permeates space.
 
Ok, true, but then what is your question? :)
 
xAxis said:
Ok, true, but then what is your question? :)

Hey,

My question was partly confused by which particle m should be assigned to under the equation

[tex]ma = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2}[/tex]

But I figured it out in the second post. It seems that it can be assigned to which ever one you want, depending on which particle's acceleration you want to measure. I apologize for the confusion.
 

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