1. What is Coulomb's Law?

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

Purpose: This calculator helps determine the magnitude of the electric force between two point charges.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses Coulomb's Law formula:

Where:

• \( F \) — Electric force (Newtons)
• \( k_e \) — Coulomb's constant (8.988×10⁹ N·m²/C²)
• \( q_1, q_2 \) — Electric charges (Coulombs)
• \( r \) — Distance between charges (meters)

Explanation: The force is calculated by multiplying Coulomb's constant with the product of the absolute charges, divided by the squared distance.

3. Importance of Electric Force Calculation

Details: Understanding electric forces is crucial in fields like electromagnetism, electronics, atomic physics, and electrical engineering.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter both charges in Coulombs (can be positive or negative) and the distance in meters. Distance must be > 0.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What if the charges have opposite signs?
A: The calculator shows the magnitude of force. Opposite charges attract, while like charges repel.

Q2: What's the value of Coulomb's constant?
A: \( k_e \) = 8.9875517873681764×10⁹ N·m²/C² (approximately 9×10⁹ N·m²/C²)

Q3: Does this work for point charges only?
A: Yes, the formula is exact for point charges and approximate for spherical charges at large distances.

Q4: What are typical charge values?
A: 1 electron has -1.602×10⁻¹⁹ C. Everyday objects might have microcoulombs (10⁻⁶ C) to millicoulombs (10⁻³ C).

Q5: How does distance affect the force?
A: Force decreases with the square of distance (double distance = 1/4 force, triple distance = 1/9 force).