Showing that the inverse sqaure law is true.

[misogynisticfeminist]

Is there a theoretical way to show that the inverse square law is true for say, just electric fields alone, without referring to any empirical observation?

 

[Tide]

The short answer is "no." One can come up with various arguments based on geometry and other concepts that make inverse square seem plausible but they are meaningless without the data. Moreover, we know inverse square is wrong anyway particularly when dealing with very massive objects and cosmological scales.

 

[arildno]

Laws in physics are true (or valid) because we see (or hear or smell or register in some other manner) that they hold in reality.

There doesn't really exist any other criterion for the (ultimate) truth of a postulated law.

 

[vanesch]

Laws in physics are true when there is consensus amongst the knowledgeable members of PF that they are true

 

[TriTertButoxy]

Wait a second; you can't show this based on quantum electrodynaimcs?