How To Calculate Electrical Force

Coulomb's Law:

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

Electrical 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 equation:

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

Where:

\( F \) — Electrical force (Newtons)
\( k \) — Coulomb's constant (8.99 × 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 Electrical Force Calculation

Details: Calculating electrical forces is fundamental in electromagnetism, helping understand atomic structure, chemical bonding, electrical circuits, and many technological applications from microelectronics to power systems.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter charges in Coulombs (can be positive or negative), distance in meters. Distance must be greater than zero. The result shows the magnitude of the force in Newtons.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the direction of the electrical force?
A: The force acts along the line joining the two charges. Like charges repel, opposite charges attract.

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

Q3: What are typical charge values?
A: Elementary charge is 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C. Most practical charges are multiples of this fundamental unit.

Q4: How does this relate to gravitational force?
A: Both follow inverse-square laws, but electrical force can be attractive or repulsive, while gravity is always attractive.

Q5: What are the limitations of Coulomb's Law?
A: It applies to point charges at rest. For moving charges or complex charge distributions, more advanced electromagnetic theory is needed.