The discussion revolves around the implications of the velocity of a test charge in the context of Coulomb's Law, particularly in electrostatics where the source charge is considered fixed. Participants explore how the law accommodates the motion of the test charge and the role of time in the force calculation.
Participants express differing views on the role of time in Coulomb's Law and the implications of the test charge's motion, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.
The discussion highlights limitations in understanding how time factors into the application of Coulomb's Law, particularly regarding the static nature of the source charge and the dynamic behavior of the test charge.
akhila_k said:The force on a test charge Q due to source charge q, depends on both their velocities in addition to several other quantities. For electrostatics, the source charge is at rest (its velocity is zero) but the test charge may be moving. Then how does Coulomb's Law accommodate for this velocity of the test charge?
The force is a function of position, not time. If you measure the force at point A, move the charge to point B, bring it back to A some time later and remeasure, the force on the charge will have the value that you measured earlier.akhila_k said:If the force is time varying, why doesn't time parameter appear in Coulomb's law? Or Coulomb's law give the force at what time point in test charge's motion?