Understanding Coulomb's Law: Force of Repulsion Between Charged Objects

In summary, the force of repulsion or attraction between two charged objects can be represented by Fe = (Kq1q2)/d^2. This means that both objects feel the force of Fe, as stated in Newton's third law of motion. This principle also applies to other forces, such as Fg, where the force felt by one object is equal to the force felt by the other object.
  • #1
ploppers
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Actually, this is not a homework question, but more of a concept problem (Sorry I can;t follow the format). We are given that the force of repulsion or attraction between 2 charged objects can be represented by : Fe = (Kq1q2)/d^2. Does this mean that the sum of the force between both objects equals Fe, or is it that Fe represents the force felt by only one of the objects?
 
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  • #2
What is Newton's third law? ;-).

Fe is the force that both of them feel because for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

For example if you have a positive charge and a negative charge and you figure out that Fe = 200N, then the positive charge pulls on the negative charge with 200N of force. This means that the negative charge must also pull on the positive charge with 200N of force just as Newton's third law of motion says.

Its the same as Fg(or any other force, I am just providing you with another example), if the Earth pulls on you with 700N of force, then you pull on the Earth with 700N of force as well.
 
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  • #3
Ahh thank you. It makes a lot more sense to make the equation geared towards one object anyway :D
 

Related to Understanding Coulomb's Law: Force of Repulsion Between Charged Objects

What is Coulomb's Law?

Coulomb's Law is a fundamental law of physics that describes the electrostatic interaction between two charged particles. It states that the force of attraction or repulsion between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

What is repulsion in relation to Coulomb's Law?

Repulsion is the force that pushes two charged particles with the same type of charge away from each other. According to Coulomb's Law, the magnitude of repulsion increases as the charges of the particles increase and decreases as the distance between them increases.

How does Coulomb's Law apply to real-world situations?

Coulomb's Law is applicable in various real-world situations, such as in determining the force between two electrically charged objects, calculating the strength of electric fields, and understanding the behavior of charged particles in atoms and molecules.

What is the difference between Coulomb's Law and Newton's Law of Gravitation?

Coulomb's Law and Newton's Law of Gravitation are both inverse-square laws that describe the force between two objects. However, Coulomb's Law deals with the electrostatic force between charged particles, while Newton's Law of Gravitation deals with the gravitational force between massive objects.

What is the significance of the constant k in Coulomb's Law?

The constant k, also known as the Coulomb constant, is a proportionality constant that relates the force between two charged particles to their charges and the distance between them. Its value is 8.99 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2, and it is essential in calculating the magnitude of the force between charged particles in Coulomb's Law.

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