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Electrostatics

Definition

Electrostatics is the study of stationary electric charges and the forces between them. It focuses on understanding how charged objects interact with each other in the absence of motion.

Analogy

Imagine a room full of people who are all wearing different colored shirts. Electrostatics is like studying how these people, with their different charges (shirt colors), attract or repel each other when they stand still.

Related terms

Electric Field: The region around a charged object where it can exert a force on another charged object.

Coulomb's Law: A mathematical equation that describes the magnitude of the electrostatic force between two point charges.

Electric Potential Energy: The energy associated with an object due to its position relative to other charged objects.



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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.