# Coulomb's Law

## Homework Statement

The magnitude of electrical force between a pair of charged particles is _____ as much when the particles are moved half as far apart.

## The Attempt at a Solution

I understand that Coulomb's Law is.

F = k q1 q2 / d^2

So is the answer just putting in the distance which is 1/2 and squaring it? So is it just 1/2^2?

Related Introductory Physics Homework Help News on Phys.org
dynamicsolo
Homework Helper
Be careful -- the distance between particles appears in the denominator of Coulomb's Law. So if the distance is halved, what happens to this ratio?

If the distance distance is halved then the ratio would increase... I just don't know by how much...

Will the force increase or decrease? and by what factor? Hint: What is $$(\frac{1}{2})^2$$?

dynamicsolo
Homework Helper
Will the force increase or decrease? and by what factor? Hint: What is $$(\frac{1}{2})^2$$?
I think you mean $$\frac{1}{(\frac{1}{2})^2}$$ ; the halved distance is in the denominator for Coulomb's Law...