Enter the charge of object 1, the charge of object 2, and the distance between them to calculate the electric force between them. Calculate the attractive or repulsive electric force between two objects.

Coulomb’s Law Formula

The formula for the electric force between two charged particles is as follows:

 F = Ke * q₁ * q₂ /r² 
  • F is the electrostatic force between the two objects
  • q1 is the magnitude of the first charge
  • q2 is the magnitude of the second charge
  • r is the distance between them
  • Ke is Coulomb’s constant which is equal to 8.98755 * 10⁹ N * m² / C²

Coulomb’s Law Definition

Coulomb’s law is also known as the inverse-square law. It’s a law of physics that describes the force between two stationary particles. These particles, of course, need to be charged, or there would be no force between them. This force is known as the electrostatic effect. This law was fundamental to the development of the theory of electromagnetism.

How to calculate Coulomb’s law?

How to calculate an electric force

  1. First, determine the charges of both points.

    The charge of each object must first be measured. For this example, we will say both points hold a charge of 10 coulombs.

  2. Next, find the distance between the object

    The distance between the objects should be the shortest point between them. For this example, we will assume 10 meters

  3. Finally, enter the information into the formula

    Using the formula above we find the electric force is 8987550000 N.

FAQ

What is Coulomb’s Law?

Coulomb’s law is also known as the inverse-square law. It’s a law of physics that describes the force between two stationary particles. These particles of course need to be charged, or there would be no force between them. This force is known as the electrostatic effect. This law was fundamental to the development of the theory of electromagnetism.