Coulmbs Law GH

Verification of Coulomb's Law
Ibrahim Mirza
Professor Almukahhal
Table of contents
Page No.
1. Introduction 3.
2. Experimental Details 4.
3. Results and calculations 5.
4. Discussions 7.
5. Conclusions 8.
6. Summary 9.
7. References 10
2
Introduction
The objective of this experiment is to validate Coulomb's Law, which governs the
electrostatic interaction between charged particles. It states that the force
between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of their
charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Mathematically, Coulomb's Law can be expressed as
Where F represents the electrostatic force, q1 and q2 are the charges of the
objects, r is the distance between them, and k is the electrostatic constant. The
negative sign indicates attractive nature of Coulomb's force and positive sign
indicate repulsive nature of force
3
Experimental Details
Access the Coulomb's Law simulation using the following link

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/coulombs-law . Within the simulation,
click on the "Atomic Scale" section of the lab. In the bottom right-hand corner,
select the "force values" and "scientific notation boxes" tools to display the force
values on the screen. To enter distance Use the ruler tool provided in the
simulation to measure the desired distance between the charges. Drag the other
charged object to the measured distance, aligning it with the ruler. within the
simulation. Use the following scenarios and enter the charge values and
distances.
a. Scenario 1: q1 = -2e, q2 = -2e, distance = 40 pm
b. Scenario 2: q1 = 2e, q2 = -4e, distance = 20 pm
c. Scenario 3: q1 = 5e, q2 = -5e, distance = 30 pm
Record the force values appearing on the screen for each scenario as
experimental values. Calculate the theoretical force values using Coulomb's Law
for each of above scenarios we have coulomb law as given below ,
A sample screenshot of experimental setup for scenario-1 is as shown below
4
Results
Experimental
Scenarios q1 q2 Force
1 -2e -2e
2 2e -4e -
3 5e -5e
5
Theoretical
Scenarios q1 q2 Force
1 -2e -2e
2 2e -4e
3 5e -5e
Sample Calculation:
Scenario – 1:
The Force is
6
Discussions
In this experiment, we aimed to confirm Coulomb's Law by comparing the

experimental force values obtained from the simulation with the theoretical force
values calculated using the law. Let's discuss the differences observed and
possible reasons for the discrepancies.
In this Experiment , the experimental force value is slightly higher than the
theoretical value. The difference between the two values can be attributed to
various factors. One possible reason is the inherent limitations of the simulation
itself. The simulation may have certain approximations or numerical errors that
affect the accuracy of the results. Additionally, the measurement of the distance
using the ruler tool in the simulation introduces some uncertainties. Small errors
in measuring the distance can lead to slight discrepancies in the calculated force
values.
Overall, the experimental and theoretical force values in all three scenarios are
relatively close, with only small discrepancies observed. These are very small in
magnitude. This suggests that Coulomb's Law is accurately represented by the
simulation and the calculations performed using the law. However, it is important
to acknowledge the limitations and potential sources of error in the experimental
setup. Improving the accuracy of the results could involve repeated
measurements of distances
7
Conclusions
Through the conducted experiment using the PhET simulation, we aimed to

investigate the Coulomb's Law by comparing experimental and theoretical force
values obtained from the simulation. Through the analysis of the results:
1. Coulomb's Law: The experimental results closely align with the theoretical
predictions based on Coulomb's Law. This confirms the fundamental
principle that the force between two charged objects is directly
proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to
the square of the distance between them. The experiment provides
empirical evidence supporting the validity of Coulomb's Law in describing
electrostatic interactions.
2. Accuracy of the Simulation: The simulation used in this experiment proved
to be a useful tool for understanding and exploring the concepts of
Coulomb's Law. The experimental force values obtained from the
simulation were generally in good agreement with the theoretical values.
3. Sources of Discrepancies: The small discrepancies observed between the
experimental and theoretical force values can be attributed to the error in
measurement of distances using ruler
4. Further Improvements: To enhance the accuracy and reliability of future
experiments, it is recommended to perform multiple trials for each
scenario, ensuring precise measurement of distances
8
Summary
This experiment successfully confirmed Coulomb's Law through the comparison

of experimental and theoretical force values. The results demonstrated a
consistent relationship between charges and electrostatic forces, supporting the
fundamental principles of electromagnetism. By understanding the limitations of
the simulation and carefully considering potential sources of discrepancies, we
can confidently affirm the validity of Coulomb's Law and its significance in
describing electrostatic interactions.
9
References
1. OpenStax College. (2016). College Physics. Rice University. Retrieved

from https://openstax.org/details/college-physics.
2. Griffiths, D. J. (1999). Introduction to Electrodynamics (3rd ed.). Prentice
Hall.
3. Tipler, P. A., & Mosca, G. (2008). Physics for Scientists and Engineers
(6th ed.). W. H. Freeman and Company.
4. Khan Academy. (n.d.). Electric charge, electric field and potential.
from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/electric-charge-
electric-force-and-voltage
10

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Verification of Coulomb's Law

Access the Coulomb's Law simulation using the following link

a. Scenario 1: q1 = -2e, q2 = -2e, distance = 40 pm

b. Scenario 2: q1 = 2e, q2 = -4e, distance = 20 pm

c. Scenario 3: q1 = 5e, q2 = -5e, distance = 30 pm

A sample screenshot of experimental setup for scenario-1 is as shown below

In this experiment, we aimed to confirm Coulomb's Law by comparing the

Through the conducted experiment using the PhET simulation, we aimed to

This experiment successfully confirmed Coulomb's Law through the comparison

1. OpenStax College. (2016). College Physics. Rice University. Retrieved

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