Electrostatics is the branch of science that deals with the phenomena arising from stationary or slow-moving electric charges. Since classical antiquity it was known that some materials such as amber attract light particles after rubbing. The Greek word for amber, electron, was the source of the word 'electricity'. Electrostatic phenomena arise from the forces that electric charges exert on each other. Such forces are described by Coulomb's law. Even though electrostatically induced forces seem to be rather weak, the electrostatic force between e.g. an electron and a proton, that together make up a hydrogen atom, is about 40 orders of magnitude stronger than the gravitational force acting between them. Electrostatic phenomena include many examples as simple as the attraction of the plastic wrap to your hand after you remove it from a package, to the apparently spontaneous explosion of grain silos, to damage of electronic components during manufacturing, to the operation of photocopiers. Electrostatics involves the buildup of charge on the surface of objects due to contact with other surfaces.

Данное издание не является оригинальным. Книга печатается по технологии принт-он-деманд после получения заказа.