1. What is Coulomb's Law?

Coulomb's Law describes the electrostatic force between two charged particles. The force is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses Coulomb's Law equation:

Where:

• \( F \) — Electric force (N)
• \( k \) — Coulomb's constant (9 × 10⁹ N m²/C²)
• \( q_1 \) — First charge (C)
• \( q_2 \) — Second charge (C)
• \( r \) — Distance between charges (m)

Explanation: The equation shows that the force between two point charges is proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

3. Importance of Electric Force Calculation

Details: Calculating electric forces is fundamental in electromagnetism, helping understand atomic structure, chemical bonding, and electrical phenomena in circuits and devices.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter charges in Coulombs and distance in meters. All values must be positive (distance > 0). For electrons, use negative values for charge.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is Coulomb's constant?
A: Coulomb's constant (k) is approximately 9 × 10⁹ N m²/C² in vacuum. It relates the electrostatic force between charges to their magnitudes and separation.

Q2: Does the force depend on the medium?
A: Yes, in different media, the effective constant is k/ε where ε is the dielectric constant of the medium.

Q3: What is the direction of the force?
A: Like charges repel, opposite charges attract. The force acts along the line joining the charges.

Q4: How small can the distance be?
A: The law applies to point charges. At very small distances (atomic scales), quantum effects become important.

Q5: Can this calculate forces between multiple charges?
A: For multiple charges, use the principle of superposition - calculate each pair separately and vector sum the results.