Magnitude Of Electric Force Calculator

Coulomb's Law:

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

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:

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

Where:

\( F \) — Electric force (Newtons)
\( k \) — Coulomb's constant (8.98755×10⁹ N·m²/C²)
\( q_1, q_2 \) — Electric charges (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 absolute value ensures we calculate the magnitude of the force.

3. Importance of Electric Force Calculation

Details: Calculating electric force magnitude is fundamental in electromagnetism, electrical engineering, particle physics, and understanding atomic and molecular interactions.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter charges in Coulombs and distance in meters. Distance must be greater than zero. The calculator returns the magnitude of the force in Newtons.

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 represents the proportionality factor in Coulomb's Law.

Q2: How does distance affect the electric force?
A: The force decreases with the square of the distance. Doubling the distance reduces the force to one-quarter of its original value.

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

Q4: Does the calculator consider charge signs?
A: The calculator computes magnitude only. For direction, remember: like charges repel, opposite charges attract.

Q5: When is Coulomb's Law applicable?
A: For point charges or spherically symmetric charge distributions where the distance is much larger than the charge dimensions.