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Coulomb's inverse-square law, or simply Coulomb's law, is an experimental law [1] of physics that calculates the amount of force between two electrically charged particles at rest. This electric force is conventionally called the electrostatic force or Coulomb force . [ 2 ]
The term is commonly used for the energy levels of the electrons in atoms, ions, or molecules, which are bound by the electric field of the nucleus, but can also refer to energy levels of nuclei or vibrational or rotational energy levels in molecules.
In this case, the effective nuclear charge can be calculated by Coulomb's law. [1] However, in an atom with many electrons, the outer electrons are simultaneously attracted to the positive nucleus and repelled by the negatively charged electrons.
Electrons have an electric charge of −1.602 176 634 × 10 −19 coulombs, [80] which is used as a standard unit of charge for subatomic particles, and is also called the elementary charge. Within the limits of experimental accuracy, the electron charge is identical to the charge of a proton, but with the opposite sign. [ 83 ]
Partial atomic charges are used in molecular mechanics force fields to compute the electrostatic interaction energy using Coulomb's law, even though this leads to substantial failures for anisotropic charge distributions. [1] Partial charges are also often used for a qualitative understanding of the structure and reactivity of molecules.
An ion is an atom (or group of atoms) that has lost one or more electrons, giving it a net positive charge (cation), or that has gained one or more electrons, giving it a net negative charge (anion). Monatomic ions are formed from single atoms, while polyatomic ions are formed from two or more atoms that have been bonded together, in each case ...
When talking about electrostatic potential energy, time-invariant electric fields are always assumed so, in this case, the electric field is conservative and Coulomb's law can be used. Using Coulomb's law, it is known that the electrostatic force F and the electric field E created by a discrete point charge Q are radially directed from Q.
In the SI system of units, the value of the elementary charge is exactly defined as = 1.602 176 634 × 10 −19 coulombs, or 160.2176634 zeptocoulombs (zC). [3] Since the 2019 revision of the SI, the seven SI base units are defined in terms of seven fundamental physical constants, of which the elementary charge is one.