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:

• \( F \) — Electrostatic force (N)
• \( k \) — Coulomb's constant (8.99×10⁹ N·m²/C² in vacuum)
• \( q_1, q_2 \) — Electric charges (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 uses absolute values to calculate magnitude.

3. Importance Of Electrostatic Force Calculation

Details: Understanding electrostatic forces is fundamental to electromagnetism, with applications in electronics, particle physics, chemistry, and materials science.

4. Using The Calculator

Tips: Enter charges in coulombs, distance in meters, and select the dielectric medium. Note that distance must be greater than zero.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is Coulomb's constant?
A: Coulomb's constant (k) is approximately 8.99×10⁹ N·m²/C² in vacuum. It varies in different dielectric media.

Q2: How does medium affect the force?
A: Dielectric materials reduce the electrostatic force between charges compared to vacuum. The reduction factor is the relative permittivity of the medium.

Q3: Can this calculator handle very small distances?
A: While mathematically valid, at very small distances (atomic scales), quantum effects become significant and Coulomb's Law alone may not fully describe interactions.

Q4: What if charges have opposite signs?
A: The calculator shows the magnitude of force. Opposite charges attract, while like charges repel each other.

Q5: What are typical charge values?
A: Elementary charge is 1.6×10⁻¹⁹ C. Most everyday electrostatic charges range from nanocoulombs (10⁻⁹ C) to microcoulombs (10⁻⁶ C).