1. Charge:
* Direct Proportionality: The electric force is directly proportional to the product of the charges on the two objects. This means that if you double the charge on one object, you double the electric force. If you double the charge on both objects, you quadruple the electric force.
* Sign of Charge: The electric force is attractive between objects with opposite charges (one positive, one negative) and repulsive between objects with the same charge (both positive or both negative).
2. Distance:
* Inverse Square Law: The electric force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the centers of the two objects. This means that if you double the distance between the objects, you reduce the electric force to one-fourth its original value. If you triple the distance, you reduce the force to one-ninth its original value.
Mathematical Representation:
This relationship is summarized by Coulomb's Law:
F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2
Where:
* F is the electric force
* k is Coulomb's constant (approximately 8.98755 × 10^9 N⋅m^2/C^2)
* q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the charges on the two objects
* r is the distance between the centers of the two objects
In essence:
* More charge = Stronger force: The larger the charges on the objects, the stronger the electric force between them.
* Greater distance = Weaker force: The farther apart the objects are, the weaker the electric force between them.
