Key Takeaways
- The electrostatic Force is a fundamental force of nature responsible for the interactions between electrically charged particles.
- Gravitational Force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature and is responsible for the attraction between objects with mass.
- Electrostatic Force primarily affects particles with electric charge, such as electrons and protons, while gravitational Force affects all objects with mass, regardless of their charge.
What is Electrostatic Force?
Electrostatic Force, also known as Columbia’s law, is one of the fundamental forces of nature responsible for the interactions between electrically charged particles. It plays a crucial role in the behaviour of atoms, molecules, and macroscopic objects shaping the world as we know it.
At its core, electrostatic forces arise from the principle that opposite charges attract while like charges repel. This Force is mathematically described by Coulomb’s law, which states that the magnitude of the Force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
What is Gravitational Force?
Gravitational Force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature and is responsible for the attraction between objects with mass. The Force keeps our feet on the ground, the planets in orbit around the sun, and galaxies bound together.
Isaac Newton formulated the law of universal gravitation, which describes how every particle attracts every other particle with a force proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
It is the universal Force acting between all objects with mass, regardless of size. It is what keeps celestial bodies like planets, stars and galaxies in their orbits and determines the trajectories of spacecraft.
Difference Between Electrostatic Force and Gravitational Force
- Electrostatic Force is an electromagnetic force that arises from the interaction of electric charges. At the same time, gravitational Force is a fundamental aspect force of nature that results from the mass of objects attracting each other.
- Electrostatic Force primarily affects particles with electric charge, such as electrons and protons, while gravitational Force affects all objects with mass, regardless of their charge.
- The strength of electrostatic Force depends on the magnitude of the charge and the distance between them, following Columbia’s law. In contrast, gravitational Force depends on the masses of the objects and the distance between them as per Newton’s law of universal gravitation.
- The direction of the electrostatic Force depends on the polarity of charges, while gravitational Force is always attractive and acts toward the centre of mass of the objects involved.
- Electrostatic Force is found in applications in various technologies, including electronics, electrostatic precipitators and the operation of devices like printers and photocopies. At the same time, gravitational Force is fundamental to the behaviour of celestial bodies, planetary motion and the study of astrophysics.
Comparison Between Electrostatic Force and Gravitational Force
| Parameters | Electrostatic Force | Gravitational Force |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of Force | Interaction of electric charges | Results from the mass of objects attracting each other |
| Fundamental particles | It affects particles with electric charge, such as electrons and protons, | It affects all things with group regardless of their charge |
| Magnitude of Force | It depends on the magnitude of the charge and the distance between them | It depends on the masses of the things and the distance between them |
| Direction of Force | It depends on polarity of the charges | Acts towards the centre of mass of the things involved |
| Applications | Found in various technologies, including electronics, electrostatic precipitators, | Fundamental to the behaviour of celestial bodies, planetary motion and the study of astrophysics |
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304388616300080
- https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.94.122005
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