Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Coulomb’s Law
Dr. DeBacco
Coulomb’s Law
Where:
F: Magnitude of the electrostatic force between the charges
Unit: Newtons, N
q₁, q₂: Magnitudes of the two point charges
Unit: Coulombs, C
r: Distance between the centers of the two charges
Unit: Meters, m
k: Coulomb’s constant
Approximately 8.98755 x 109 N⋅m2/C2
Nature of the Force: Coulomb’s Law
Attractive: If the charges have opposite signs
Positive and Negative
Repulsive: If the charges have the same sign
Both positive or both negative
Magnitude: The force is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance.
Inverse-Square Law: Doubling the distance reduces the force to one-fourth its original value.
Context of Coulomb’s Law in the Periodic Table
Coulomb’s Law is critical for understanding periodic trends:
Atomic Radius: Increased nuclear charge (more protons) pulls electrons closer, reducing atomic size across a period due to stronger electrostatic attraction.
Ionization Energy and Electronegativity: Stronger nuclear attraction in smaller atoms increases the energy needed to remove electrons and the tendency to attract bonding electrons.
Electron Affinity: The force between the nucleus and incoming electrons influences how favorably an atom gains an electron.
Link to Lecture Slides: drive.google.com/file/d/1e0jRqG82_qpgPSz-_D0Wq5U_harP0MaZ/view?usp=drive_link
*Due to the description character limit the full work cited for "Coulomb's Law" can be viewed at... docs.google.com/document/d/1XYSn_9lyRZt0MoZymn_kBiuUdW6drRIU/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=104237452697237972847&rtpof=true&sd=true
Coulomb’s Law
Dr. DeBacco
Coulomb’s Law
Where:
F: Magnitude of the electrostatic force between the charges
Unit: Newtons, N
q₁, q₂: Magnitudes of the two point charges
Unit: Coulombs, C
r: Distance between the centers of the two charges
Unit: Meters, m
k: Coulomb’s constant
Approximately 8.98755 x 109 N⋅m2/C2
Nature of the Force: Coulomb’s Law
Attractive: If the charges have opposite signs
Positive and Negative
Repulsive: If the charges have the same sign
Both positive or both negative
Magnitude: The force is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance.
Inverse-Square Law: Doubling the distance reduces the force to one-fourth its original value.
Context of Coulomb’s Law in the Periodic Table
Coulomb’s Law is critical for understanding periodic trends:
Atomic Radius: Increased nuclear charge (more protons) pulls electrons closer, reducing atomic size across a period due to stronger electrostatic attraction.
Ionization Energy and Electronegativity: Stronger nuclear attraction in smaller atoms increases the energy needed to remove electrons and the tendency to attract bonding electrons.
Electron Affinity: The force between the nucleus and incoming electrons influences how favorably an atom gains an electron.
Link to Lecture Slides: drive.google.com/file/d/1e0jRqG82_qpgPSz-_D0Wq5U_harP0MaZ/view?usp=drive_link
*Due to the description character limit the full work cited for "Coulomb's Law" can be viewed at... docs.google.com/document/d/1XYSn_9lyRZt0MoZymn_kBiuUdW6drRIU/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=104237452697237972847&rtpof=true&sd=true
