Is it A or K? The Debate Over Representing Coulomb's Constant

[turkusmaximus]

I have equation that i have to make A the subject of so the equation is F = A Q1 Q2/r2 this i have done and it becomes A = F x r2/Q1 Q2. the SI units work out as coulombs constant, however on all the web sites i have checked coulombs constant is given as K, even the equations are identical except in all of them the A is a K. Is this a British thing or can A be used instead of the K?

 

[Dale]

The letter used to represent a quantity is not important. You can use any letter you like. For example, if you wanted to you could write Newton's 2nd law as:

a=bc
where a is the net force, b is the mass, and c is the acceleration.

You would confuse everyone reading it, but it would be a perfectly legitimate equation.

 

[turkusmaximus]

I appreciate that and thank you for it but just to make that observation more clear to me do you know of an example where coulombs constant has been called A. One website had something down like s-A for it but it does not mean anything to me at this time?

 

[Ali Inam]

You can use any form that is suitable for you. No matter it is K (which I have seen almost everywhere) or A(which I have seen only once)

The important thing is that you must elaborate any form which you are using.

You must mention that what exactly is K or A ?

This will do the trick for you

 

[sardar]

I can confirm that both A and K are commonly used to represent Coulomb's constant. A is often used in British literature, while K is more commonly used in American literature. However, both symbols are widely recognized and accepted in the scientific community. It is ultimately a matter of personal preference or convention in a particular field of study. As long as the equation is correctly represented and the units are consistent, either symbol can be used.