Coulomb's law
Ley de Coulomb de la fuerza eléctrica
- Date
- 1785 · confidence high
- Place
- Paris, France
- Credited to
- Charles-Augustin de Coulomb
- People
- 👤 Charles-Augustin de Coulomb1736–1806
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
The force between two charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance, measured with the torsion balance. It gives electricity and magnetism a quantitative law equal to gravitation.
Cavendish had verified the inverse square law in 1771-1773 but did not publish it.
What it led to
- Mathematical electrostatics (Poisson, Gauss)
- Concept of the electric field
- Maxwell's equations
- Unit of charge (coulomb)
Built on
- Torsion pendulum1784
- Franklin's and Priestley's electricity (who already suspected the inverse-square law)
Made possible
- Torsion pendulum1784
- Ampère's law and electrodynamics1820-1827
- Gauss's law1835
- Precision electrometers