Magnet Academy Museum: Torsion Balance

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published by the Florida State University
supported by the National Science Foundation
edited by Kristen Coyne
technical implementer: Matthew J. Parry-Hill

This tutorial from the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory explores the historic device known as a torsion balance. By carefully recording the measurements he obtained with his torsion balance, Coulomb was able to establish the law that bears his name. Coloumb's law states that the attraction or repulsion force between two electrical charges is proportional to their product and inversely proportional to the square of their distance apart.

Magnet Academy is part of a large collection of web-based educational materials for K-20, developed by the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University.

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https://nationalmaglab.org/magnet-academy/history-of-electricity-m...

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education Practices - Technology = Multimedia Electricity & Magnetism - DC Circuits = Instruments - Electrostatics = Electrostatic Meters General Physics - Equipment - History	- High School - Middle School - Informal Education	- Instructional Material = Interactive Simulation = Tutorial

Intended Users	Formats	Ratings
- Learners - Educators - General Publics	- text/html - application/java - video/mpeg	Currently 0.0/5 Want to rate this material? Login here!

Access Rights:: Free access
Restriction:: © 2007 http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/micro/legal.html
Keywords:: Coulomb, Coulomb's Law, charge interaction, charge measurement, electrostatic charge, electrostatics, historical instruments, history of electricity, history of science, science history, static charge, torsion balance
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created May 25, 2010 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:: February 22, 2025 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: December 30, 2009
Other Collections:: The Physics Front

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=10043">Coyne, Kristen, ed. Magnet Academy Museum: Torsion Balance. Tallahassee: Florida State University, December 30, 2009.</a>

AIP Format

, edited by K. Coyne (Florida State University, Tallahassee, 2007), WWW Document, (https://nationalmaglab.org/magnet-academy/history-of-electricity-magnetism/museum/torsion-balance-1785).

AJP/PRST-PER

Magnet Academy Museum: Torsion Balance, edited by K. Coyne (Florida State University, Tallahassee, 2007), <https://nationalmaglab.org/magnet-academy/history-of-electricity-magnetism/museum/torsion-balance-1785>.

APA Format

Coyne, K. (Ed.). (2009, December 30). Magnet Academy Museum: Torsion Balance. Retrieved March 21, 2025, from Florida State University: https://nationalmaglab.org/magnet-academy/history-of-electricity-magnetism/museum/torsion-balance-1785

Chicago Format

Coyne, Kristen, ed. Magnet Academy Museum: Torsion Balance. Tallahassee: Florida State University, December 30, 2009. https://nationalmaglab.org/magnet-academy/history-of-electricity-magnetism/museum/torsion-balance-1785 (accessed 21 March 2025).

MLA Format

Coyne, Kristen, ed. Magnet Academy Museum: Torsion Balance. Tallahassee: Florida State University, 2007. 30 Dec. 2009. National Science Foundation. 21 Mar. 2025 <https://nationalmaglab.org/magnet-academy/history-of-electricity-magnetism/museum/torsion-balance-1785>.

BibTeX Export Format

@misc{ Title = {Magnet Academy Museum: Torsion Balance}, Publisher = {Florida State University}, Volume = {2025}, Number = {21 March 2025}, Month = {December 30, 2009}, Year = {2007} }

Refer Export Format

%A Kristen Coyne, (ed) %T Magnet Academy Museum: Torsion Balance %D December 30, 2009 %I Florida State University %C Tallahassee %U https://nationalmaglab.org/magnet-academy/history-of-electricity-magnetism/museum/torsion-balance-1785 %O text/html

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D December 30, 2009 %T Magnet Academy Museum: Torsion Balance %E Coyne, Kristen %I Florida State University %V 2025 %N 21 March 2025 %8 December 30, 2009 %9 text/html %U https://nationalmaglab.org/magnet-academy/history-of-electricity-magnetism/museum/torsion-balance-1785

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