Is Coulomb's law valid in a non-inertial frame?

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SUMMARY

Coulomb's law is not valid in a non-inertial frame, particularly under conditions of constant proper acceleration. In such frames, while static charges do not move, the observer experiences a distorted Coulomb force field rather than the standard force described by Coulomb's law. This distortion arises due to fictitious forces acting on the observer, which alters the perceived interactions between charges. Therefore, one cannot expect to observe the same Coulomb force as in an inertial frame.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Coulomb's law and electrostatic forces
  • Familiarity with non-inertial reference frames
  • Knowledge of proper acceleration concepts
  • Basic principles of classical electromagnetism
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of fictitious forces in non-inertial frames
  • Study the implications of general relativity on electromagnetic fields
  • Explore the concept of radiation from accelerating charges
  • Investigate the mathematical formulation of distorted force fields
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Physicists, students of classical mechanics, and anyone interested in the implications of non-inertial frames on electromagnetic theory.

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Hi,
I was wondering, if the charges do not move in a non inertial frame and I don't move too in this frame, will I see the same Coulomb force, some fictitious forces and radiation coming from these static charges?
Thanks!
 
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A.T. said:
just a distorted Coulomb force field
Note that the distorted field means that Coulomb’s law is not valid. So the short but correct answer to the OP’s question is “no”.
 
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