Electrostatic force on a charge

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the completeness of Coulomb's Law in describing the electrostatic force between charges, particularly in relation to the velocity and acceleration of the charges involved. Participants explore the implications of these factors within the context of electrodynamics versus electrostatics.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that Coulomb's Law is incomplete because it does not account for the velocity and acceleration of the charges, as noted in Griffin's book on electrodynamics.
  • Others mention that the Lienard-Wiechert potentials provide a more complete description for moving and accelerating charges, implying a transition from Coulomb's Law to a broader framework.
  • One participant humorously notes that the dependence of force on velocity is referred to as "magnetism," suggesting a connection between electric and magnetic forces.
  • There is a question raised about why Coulomb did not include velocity or acceleration in his law, with some attributing this to the historical context of his work.
  • Another participant points out that Coulomb's Law is confined to electrostatics, which may explain the absence of velocity-dependent terms.
  • One comment emphasizes the need to acknowledge Coulomb's contributions despite the limitations of his law, highlighting the historical development of the field.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the completeness of Coulomb's Law, with some agreeing that it is limited while others defend its historical context. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of velocity and acceleration in the context of electrostatic forces.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference the historical context of Coulomb's work and the evolution of concepts in electrodynamics, indicating that the understanding of forces has developed over time. There is an acknowledgment of the limitations of Coulomb's Law in relation to modern physics.

astro2cosmos
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i was reading the book of Griffin - introduction to electrodynamics. it is written that the force of charge q on Q is not only depends on the distance b.w them but also the velocity & acceleration of charge q.then i think coloumb'law is incomplete at all. it must include some quantity for velocity or acceleration. ian't it right?
hope for this >>>>>>>>
 
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astro2cosmos said:
i was reading the book of Griffin - introduction to electrodynamics. it is written that the force of charge q on Q is not only depends on the distance b.w them but also the velocity & acceleration of charge q.then i think coloumb'law is incomplete at all. it must include some quantity for velocity or acceleration. ian't it right?
hope for this >>>>>>>>

Yes, "coloumb'law" is incomplete. This incompleteness is a topic within the field of electrodynamics (note the phrase *dynamics* as opposed to statics), an introduction to which is presumably given in the book you mentioned.
 
Yes. If you go further on in the book, you will get to the Lienard-Wiechert potentials which replace Coulomb's law for moving and accelerating charges.
 
astro2cosmos said:
it is written that the force of charge q on Q is not only depends on the distance b.w them but also the velocity & acceleration of charge q.then i think coloumb'law is incomplete at all. it must include some quantity for velocity or acceleration. ian't it right?

The dependence of the force on the velocity of q is usually called "magnetism." :biggrin:
 
jtbell said:
The dependence of the force on the velocity of q is usually called "magnetism." :biggrin:

yes it may right like it is something electromagnetic force b.w the particles, then why didn't coloumb mention it in his Law??
 
astro2cosmos said:
yes it may right like it is something electromagnetic force b.w the particles, then why didn't coloumb mention it in his Law??

Isn't Coulomb's Law confined to electrostatics? That might be why...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coulomb's_law

No v or a in his equation that I can see...
 
astro2cosmos said:
yes it may right like it is something electromagnetic force b.w the particles, then why didn't coloumb mention it in his Law??


The man's name is Coulomb not "coloumb". He studied electricity a long time ago... He didn't get *everything* exactly right but he got pretty close. Cut the man some slack. Geez.
 
astro2cosmos said:
why didn't coloumb mention it in his Law??

Because at the time Coulomb did his work, the velocity-dependent force hadn't been discovered yet!
 

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