Coulomb's Law
The electric force between two point charges is described by Coulomb's Law:
* F = k * (q1 * q2) / r²
Where:
* F is the electric force
* k is Coulomb's constant (a proportionality constant)
* q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the two charges
* r is the distance between the charges
The Effect of Distance
Notice that the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the charges. This means:
* If the distance doubles, the force decreases to one-fourth its original value.
* If the distance triples, the force decreases to one-ninth its original value.
In your case, since the distance is tripled, the electric force between the two positive charges will decrease to one-ninth of its original value.
