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Charles Augustus
Coulomb (1736-1806) invented the torsion
balance in 1785.
The torsion balance is a simple device- a horizontal cross-bar is
mounted on a stretched wire. A ball is then mounted on each end of
the cross bar. Given a positive or negative charge, those balls will
then attract or repel other objects that carry charges. The balls
responding to these charges will try to twist the wire holding the
cross bar.
The wire resists twisting, and how much twisting occurs tells you
how much force the attraction (or repulsion) exerted. Coulomb showed
electrical attraction and repulsion follow an inverse square law.
The unit of charge is named after him. |
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