$$F = k\frac{|q_1||q_2|}{r^2}$$
where:
- F is the magnitude of the electric force in newtons (N)
- k is Coulomb's constant \((\approx8.988 \times 10^9 \text{ N}\cdot \text{m}^2/\text{C}^2)\)
- |q1| and |q2| are the magnitudes of the charges in coulombs (C)
- r is the distance between the charges in meters (m)
If the charges have the same sign (both positive or both negative), then |q1| and |q2| will be positive, and the electric force F will be positive, indicating a repulsive force. This means that two particles with the same charge will repel each other.
