$$F = k \frac{q_1 q_2}{r^2}$$
where:
- $$F$$ is the electric force (in newtons)
- $$k$$ is Coulomb's constant $$(\approx 8.99 \times 10^{9} \ Nm^2/C^2)$$
- $$q_1$$ and $$q_2$$ are the magnitudes of the charges (in coulombs)
- $$r$$ is the distance between the charges (in meters)
If the distance between two positive charges is tripled, the electric force between them will decrease by a factor of 9. This is because the electric force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the charges. In other words, as the distance between the charges increases, the electric force between them decreases.
