Why we don’t put a minus sign in Coulomb's law

In summary, the reason we do not put a minus sign with the charge when calculating the force between two charges is because like charges repel each other, resulting in a positive force according to the usual convention. Using a minus sign with each charge would result in a positive force, which is consistent with algebraic principles.
  • #1
Zain580
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While calculating the force between two charges , why we don't put minus sign with charge.
 
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  • #3
Zain580 said:
While calculating the force between two charges , why we don't put minus sign with charge.

Because like charges repel: that is, the force between them makes them accelerate away from each other, which is a positive acceleration (positive sign of force) according to the usual convention.
 
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Likes Dale
  • #4
If you start with distances from origin as positive and the sign of a Force corresponding to the same direction (which makes sense) then like charges will produce a positive force etc..
 
  • #5
Zain580 said:
why we don't put minus sign with charge.

This is a slightly different question than the title. If you put it with each charge, you will have two minus signs which will result in a plus.
 
  • #6
Zain580 said:
why we don't put minus sign with charge.
For the same reason that we use x on a graph when the value of x can be positive or negative. That's a general thing with Algebra. If it didn't work that way, we' have to have different arithmetic depending on whether the variables we used were positive or negative.
 

Related to Why we don’t put a minus sign in Coulomb's law

1. Why is there no minus sign in Coulomb's law?

Coulomb's law is a mathematical formula that represents the force of attraction or repulsion between two charged particles. The absence of a minus sign in the equation is due to the fact that electric charges can either be positive or negative. If two particles have the same charge, they will repel each other, but if they have opposite charges, they will attract each other. The direction of the force is determined by the signs of the charges, not by a minus sign in the equation.

2. How does Coulomb's law account for the direction of the force?

The direction of the force between two charged particles is determined by the signs of the charges. Like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract each other. This is reflected in the mathematical equation for Coulomb's law, where the direction of the force is represented by the unit vector r̂, which points from the first charged particle to the second.

3. What is the significance of the minus sign in other laws of physics?

In other laws of physics, the minus sign may represent a negative value or direction. For example, in Newton's second law, a negative sign may indicate a force acting in the opposite direction of motion. However, in Coulomb's law, there is no negative value or direction associated with the absence of a minus sign. The direction of the force is determined by the charges, not the equation itself.

4. How does Coulomb's law compare to other fundamental laws of physics?

Coulomb's law is similar to other fundamental laws of physics, such as Newton's law of gravitation and the inverse-square law for light intensity. In all of these laws, the force between two objects or particles is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The main difference is that Coulomb's law accounts for the electric charge of the particles, while the other laws do not.

5. Can Coulomb's law be extended to include other types of charges or particles?

Yes, Coulomb's law can be extended to include other types of charges or particles, such as magnetic charges or particles with spin. In these cases, the mathematical equation would be modified to account for the properties of the charges or particles, but the fundamental principle of the law would remain the same – the force between two particles is determined by their properties and the distance between them.

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