1. What is Coulomb's Law?

Coulomb's Law describes the electrostatic interaction between electrically charged particles. It states that the force between two point charges 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:

Where:

• \( F \) — Coulomb 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 the charges have opposite signs and repulsive if they have the same sign.

3. Importance of Coulomb Force Calculation

Details: Calculating electrostatic forces is fundamental in electromagnetism, atomic physics, and electrical engineering. It helps understand atomic structure, chemical bonding, and electrical phenomena.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter all values in appropriate units. Distance must be greater than zero. The default value for Coulomb's constant is 8.987551787×10⁹ N m²/C².

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the value of Coulomb's constant?
A: Approximately 8.98755×10⁹ N m²/C², often approximated as 9×10⁹ N m²/C² for calculations.

Q2: How does distance affect the force?
A: The force decreases with the square of the distance - doubling the distance reduces the force to one quarter.

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

Q4: Does the force direction matter?
A: Yes, the force is a vector quantity. Like charges repel, opposite charges attract.

Q5: What are the limitations of Coulomb's Law?
A: It applies to point charges at rest and assumes charges are in a vacuum. For materials, the permittivity of the medium must be considered.