Coulomb's Law
The force between two charges is described by Coulomb's Law:
* F = k * (q1 * q2) / r²
Where:
* F is the force
* k is Coulomb's constant
* q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the charges
* r is the distance between the charges
The Impact of Halving the Charges
If you reduce both charges (q1 and q2) by half, the new force (F') will be:
* F' = k * (q1/2 * q2/2) / r²
* F' = k * (q1 * q2) / (4 * r²)
* F' = (1/4) * (k * (q1 * q2) / r²)
* F' = (1/4) * F
Conclusion
Therefore, if you halve the magnitudes of both charges, the force between them will be reduced to one-fourth of its original value.
