Franklin

Definition

Franklin is a unit of electric charge in the electrostatic unit (esu) system, equivalent to approximately $3.33564 \times 10^{-10}$ coulombs. Named after Benjamin Franklin, it represents the amount of charge that exerts an electrostatic force of one dyne on an equal charge at a distance of one centimeter.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. 1 Franklin equals approximately $3.33564 \times 10^{-10}$ coulombs.
2. The Franklin is part of the esu system, which is based on centimeters, grams, and seconds (cgs).
3. A charge of 1 Franklin exerts a force of one dyne on another charge of 1 Franklin placed one centimeter away in vacuum.
4. Benjamin Franklin's work on electric charges led to the naming of this unit in his honor.
5. The use of Franklin as a unit has largely been replaced by the coulomb in the International System of Units (SI).

Review Questions

• How many coulombs are there in one Franklin?
• What historical figure is the unit 'Franklin' named after?
• In what system of units is the Franklin primarily used?

Related terms

Coulomb: The SI unit of electric charge, defined as the amount of charge transported by a constant current of one ampere in one second.

Electrostatic Force: The force between static electric charges according to Coulomb's law, which states that like charges repel and opposite charges attract with a force proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square distance between them.

Dyne: A unit of force in the cgs system, where one dyne equals $10^{-5}$ newtons.