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 (8.9875×10⁹ N·m²/C²)
• \( q_1 \) — First charge (C)
• \( q_2 \) — Second charge (C)
• \( r \) — Distance between charges (m)

Explanation: The force is attractive if charges have opposite signs and repulsive if they have the same sign. The calculator gives the magnitude of the force.

3. Importance of Electric Force Calculation

Details: Understanding electric forces is fundamental in electromagnetism, atomic physics, and electrical engineering. It helps predict particle behavior in electric fields and design electrical systems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter charges in Coulombs (can be positive or negative), distance in meters. Distance must be greater than zero. Results show force magnitude in Newtons.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is Coulomb's constant?
A: Approximately 8.9875×10⁹ N·m²/C², it's derived from the electric constant ε₀ in the SI system.

Q2: Does the sign of charges matter?
A: While the calculator shows magnitude, opposite charges attract and like charges repel in reality.

Q3: What are typical charge values?
A: Elementary charge is ~1.602×10⁻¹⁹ C. Macroscopic objects might have microcoulombs (µC) to millicoulombs (mC).

Q4: How does distance affect the force?
A: Force decreases with the square of distance - doubling distance reduces force to 1/4th.

Q5: Is this valid for point charges only?
A: The simple form applies to point charges. For distributed charges, integration is needed.