1. What is Coulomb's Law?

Coulomb's Law describes the electrostatic interaction between electrically charged particles. It states that the magnitude of the electrostatic force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses Coulomb's Law:

Where:

• \( F \) — Electric force (Newtons)
• \( k \) — Coulomb's constant (8.98755×10⁹ N·m²/C²)
• \( q_1 \) — First charge (Coulombs)
• \( q_2 \) — Second charge (Coulombs)
• \( r \) — Distance between charges (meters)

Explanation: The force is attractive if charges have opposite signs and repulsive if charges have the same sign. The calculator calculates magnitude only.

3. Importance of Electric Force Calculation

Details: Understanding electric forces is fundamental to electromagnetism, electronics, atomic physics, and many engineering applications. It helps predict interactions between charged particles in various systems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter charges in Coulombs and distance in meters. Use positive values for magnitude calculations. Distance must be greater than zero.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is Coulomb's constant?
A: Coulomb's constant (k) is approximately 8.98755×10⁹ N·m²/C² and relates to the permittivity of free space.

Q2: How does charge sign affect the force?
A: Like charges repel, opposite charges attract. The calculator shows magnitude; direction depends on charge signs.

Q3: What are typical charge values?
A: Elementary charge is 1.602×10⁻¹⁹ C. Practical charges range from microcoulombs (10⁻⁶ C) to millicoulombs (10⁻³ C).

Q4: Is this valid for all distances?
A: Coulomb's Law applies to point charges and stationary charges. At very small distances (atomic scale), quantum effects become significant.

Q5: How does medium affect electric force?
A: In dielectric materials, the force is reduced by the dielectric constant of the medium.