Calculate Electric Force Between Two Charges

Coulomb's Law:

\[ F = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2} \]

Electric Force (F):

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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:

\[ F = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2} \]

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 returns the magnitude of the force.

3. Importance of Electric Force Calculation

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

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter charges in Coulombs and distance in meters. The calculator will compute the magnitude of the electric force. 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: Does the calculator consider charge signs?
A: The calculator computes force magnitude. For direction, remember: like charges repel, opposite charges attract.

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

Q4: Is this valid for all distances?
A: Coulomb's Law applies to point charges at rest. For very small distances (quantum scale) or moving charges, other considerations apply.

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