Experimental Test of Coulomb's Law

D. F. Bartlett; P. E. Goldhagen; E. A. Phillips

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.2.483

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Experimental Test of Coulomb's Law

D. F. Bartlett, P. E. Goldhagen, and E. A. Phillips^*

Joseph Henry Laboratories of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540

^*Now at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif. 94720.

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Phys. Rev. D 2, 483 – Published 1 August, 1970

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.2.483

Abstract

One of the classic "null experiments" tests the exactness of the electrostatic inverse-square law. The outer shell of a spherical capacitor is raised to a potential $V$ with respect to a distant ground, and the potential difference $Δ V$ induced between the inner and outer shells is measured. If this induced potential difference is not zero, Coulomb's law is violated. For example, if we assume that the force between charges varies as $r^{- 2 + q}$ , then $\frac{Δ}{V}$ is approximately a tenth of $q$ . In our experiment five concentric spheres are used. A potential difference of 40 kV at 2500 Hz is impressed between the outer two spheres. A lock-in detector with a sensitivity of about 0.2 nV measures the potential difference between the inner two spheres. We find $| q | \leq 1.3 \times 10^{- 13}$ . We also find comparable limits on the detected signal when the operating frequency is 250 Hz, and when the detector is synchronized with the charging current rather than with the charge itself.

References (20)

A. Coulomb, Memoires de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, Vol. for 1785, p. 569
J. C. Maxwell, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 3rd ed. (Oxford U. P., Oxford, England, 1892), Vol. I, p. 80
[2], p. 83
S. J. Plimpton and W. E. Lawton, Phys. Rev. 50, 1066 (1936)
Gary Don Cochran, Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, 1967 (unpublished) G. D. Cochran and P. A. Franken, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 13, 1379 (1968)
D. F. Bartlett and E. A. Phillips, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 14, 17 (1969)
J. Faller (private communication) E. R. Williams, J. E. Faller, and H. A. Hill, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 15, 586 (1970)
[2], p. 84
L. deBroglie, Une Nouvelle Théorie de la Lumière (Hermann, Paris, 1940), p. 40
M. A. Ginzburg, Astron. Zh. 40, 703 (1963) [Soviet Astron. AJ 7, 536 (1964)]
V. L. Patel, Phys. Letters 14, 105 (1965)
A. S. Goldhaber and M. M. Nieto, Phys. Rev. Letters 21, 567 (1968)
Ronald Shaw, Am. J. Phys. 33, 300 (1965)
Omitted endnote
Omitted endnote
Omitted endnote
Omitted endnote
Omitted endnote
P. P. Craig, Phys. Rev. Letters 22, 700 (1969)
Omitted endnote

[c1] A. Coulomb, Memoires de l'Académie Royale des Sciences, Vol. for 1785, p. 569

[c2] J. C. Maxwell, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 3rd ed. (Oxford U. P., Oxford, England, 1892), Vol. I, p. 80

[c3] [2], p. 83

[c4] S. J. Plimpton and W. E. Lawton, Phys. Rev. 50, 1066 (1936)

[c5] Gary Don Cochran, Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan, 1967 (unpublished) G. D. Cochran and P. A. Franken, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 13, 1379 (1968)

[c6] D. F. Bartlett and E. A. Phillips, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 14, 17 (1969)

[c7] J. Faller (private communication) E. R. Williams, J. E. Faller, and H. A. Hill, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 15, 586 (1970)

[c8] [2], p. 84

[c9] L. deBroglie, Une Nouvelle Théorie de la Lumière (Hermann, Paris, 1940), p. 40

[c10] M. A. Ginzburg, Astron. Zh. 40, 703 (1963) [Soviet Astron. AJ 7, 536 (1964)]

[c11] V. L. Patel, Phys. Letters 14, 105 (1965)

[c12] A. S. Goldhaber and M. M. Nieto, Phys. Rev. Letters 21, 567 (1968)

[c13] Ronald Shaw, Am. J. Phys. 33, 300 (1965)

[c14] Omitted endnote

[c15] Omitted endnote

[c16] Omitted endnote

[c17] Omitted endnote

[c18] Omitted endnote

[c19] P. P. Craig, Phys. Rev. Letters 22, 700 (1969)

[c20] Omitted endnote

Physical Review D

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Experimental Test of Coulomb's Law

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