Equal Forces of Attraction and Repulsion for Like Charges in Coulomb's Law?

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The discussion confirms that the force of attraction between a positive charge (+1C) and a negative charge (-1C) is equal to the force of repulsion between two like charges (+1C and +1C), provided that the charges are equidistant. This equality is derived from Coulomb's Law, which quantifies the electrostatic force between charged particles. Participants emphasize the importance of understanding this principle as foundational in electrostatics.

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If I have a positive and negative charge, say -1C and +1C, will the force of attraction be the same as the force of repulsion for a +1C and a +1C charge?

I've been trying to teach this electrostatics chapter to myself before term commences so I can get a bit of a head start.
 
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Procrastinate said:
If I have a positive and negative charge, say -1C and +1C, will the force of attraction be the same as the force of repulsion for a +1C and a +1C charge?
Yes. (Assuming the charges are the same distance apart, of course.) The force is given by Coulomb's law.
 
Try plugging some values into the equation for the force of electrostatic repulsion/attraction and see what happens =]
 

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