Coulomb's Law Calculator Negative

Coulomb's Law Formula:

\[ F = k \frac{|q_1 q_2|}{r^2} \text{ (sign indicates direction)} \]

Electrostatic 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 formula:

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

Where:

\( F \) — Electrostatic force (N)
\( k \) — Coulomb's constant (9 × 10⁹ N m²/C²)
\( q_1, q_2 \) — Electric charges (C)
\( r \) — Distance between charges (m)

Direction: The force is attractive if charges have opposite signs and repulsive if they have the same sign.

3. Importance of Coulomb's Law

Details: Coulomb's Law is fundamental to understanding electrostatics and forms the basis for many concepts in electricity and magnetism. It's essential for calculating forces in charged particle systems and designing electrical components.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter charges in Coulombs (can be positive or negative), distance in meters. Distance must be greater than zero. The calculator will determine both magnitude and direction of the force.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the significance of the negative sign in Coulomb's Law?
A: The negative sign indicates the direction of the force. Unlike charges attract (negative force), while like charges repel (positive force).

Q2: What are typical charge values used in calculations?
A: Elementary charge is approximately 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C. Most practical applications involve charges in the microcoulomb (10⁻⁶ C) to millicoulomb (10⁻³ C) range.

Q3: How does distance affect the electrostatic force?
A: Force decreases with the square of the distance. Doubling the distance reduces the force to one-quarter of its original value.

Q4: What are the limitations of Coulomb's Law?
A: It applies exactly only for point charges at rest. For moving charges or complex charge distributions, additional considerations are needed.

Q5: How is Coulomb's constant derived?
A: Coulomb's constant is derived from the permittivity of free space: \( k = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \), where \( \epsilon_0 \) is approximately 8.85 × 10⁻¹² C²/N·m².