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1. what is Coulomb’s electricity?

George Mpantes www.mpantes.gr

Α first presentation of the course of electrical theory through the

philosophical ideas of Bridgman and Duhem, is the physics of Charles
Coulomb. Coulomb, a French military engineer in the later 1700s was the first
who measured electricity.
Here the metaphysical idea – that produces mathematical model- is
that electricity is attributed to molecules of two kinds of fluid, a substance, as
magnetism itself. These molecules exert forces with each other.

And in physics of the laboratory is the operations with a torsion

balance, with one of the charged spheres on the arm of the balance, and the
other held by a sliding wooden stick set over a scale. Coulomb verified
experimentally the Priesley law (charge is the quantity of this fluid) that:
"The repulsive or pulling force between two small spheres charged with
the same (or the opposite) kind of electricity is inversely proportional to the
square of the distance of their centers"
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"... whatever the cause of electricity, we can explain all the phenomena on
the assumption that there are two electric fluids that are repulsed or attracted
to the other or the same fluid parts ...... ..Coulomb"
But he did not find any connection between attraction and repulsing
charges, he believed simply they were due to different types of fluids.
the Coulomb force is
⃗ …(1.1) 1

even F12 = -F21 after changing the orientation of r (Third Law of

Newton) and confirming the attribute that emerges in the phenomena, that in
nature there are no forces, but only paired "interactions" that Newton has
recognized since the 17th century. The ratio k is the electrostatic constant.
In relation to (1.1), magnetostatic as a force between two magnetic
poles, which developed greatly through the work of the great mathematician

Simeon Dennis Poisson (1781-1840), who talked about the magnetic fluid and
published in 1824 a mathematical a treatise on magnetism analogous to this
electrostatics, since the laws of electrical and magnetic power were in the same
form as the force of gravity (central conservative power with special
mathematical properties). In 1812, with a memoir at the French Academy -
Poisson - he accepted the hypothesis of two fluids and the expressions of the
Coulomb.
"... when all parts of a body provide equal amounts of the two fluids, this
body does not exercise any force in the neighboring body fluids, so no

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A similar relationship was confirmed by Coulomb and the magnetic force
confirming the descriptions of John Mitchel (1724-1793) where again appear the
magnetic fluid and its molecules.
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electrical phenomena occur. This equal and even distribution of the two fluids
is called a physical state, and when this condition is disrupted in a body, this
body becomes electrified, and the various electrical phenomena begin to occur
"(Poisson)
The comments on the nature of electricity begin just now!
… while admitting electricity as we have now done , to the rank of a
physical quantity , we must not too hastily assume that it is or is nor a
substance; or that is or not a form of energy; the quantities “electricity” and
“potential” when multiplied together produce the quantity “energy” it is
impossible therefore that electricity and energy should be quantities of the
same category…the use of the word “fluid” has been apt to deceive the vulgar,
including many men of science who are not natural philosophers…for my own
part , I look for additional light on the nature of electricity from a study of what
takes place in the space intervening between the electrified bodies…. Maxwell
Here Maxwell prepares us for his own substance:the aether
..in the scientific world the conception of substance is wholly lacking,
and that which most nearly replaces it-viz. electric charge-is not exalted above
the other quantities of physics. Eddington
So we cannot seriously hold that q is a substance then we must speak of
measurement of electric substance. Pohl
…The measurements involved in these operations are measurements of
ordinary mechanical forces…this of course is all very trite;
The important thing for us is merely that magnitude of charge or
quantity of electricity is an independent physical concept and that unique
operations exist for determining this…the operations by which the inverse
square law is established presuppose that the charge is given as an
independent concept, since the operations involve a knowledge of
charges….Bridgman
But what is the electric charge?
…the special properties of the atomic fragments give rise to
phenomena which we find it convenient to call electric phenomena…we can if
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we like call the atomic fragments themselves particles of positive or negative

electricity as the case may be; or we may speak of them as particles charged
with positive or negative electricity-that is a little more than a matter of taste.
We know nothing of their ultimate constitution; and our ignorance in this
respect is never likely to be dissipated-and I am afraid I can say no more in
answer to the question, What is electricity?
L. Southerns, electricity and the structure of Matter 1925 p.112
So the first answer from the first measurement of electricity in physics is
therefore: electricity means something whose presence is manifested in
Coulomb’s phenomenon. Or electricity is the measure of number q, through
Coulomb’s force. Whether entities which act thus are substantial , is a question
for philosophers.

George Mpantes mathematician

Mpantes_2@yahoo.gr