F = k * |q₁ * q₂| / r²
Where:
* F is the magnitude of the electric force (in Newtons, N)
* k is Coulomb's constant (approximately 8.98755 × 10⁹ N⋅m²/C²)
* q₁ and q₂ are the magnitudes of the two charges (in Coulombs, C)
* r is the distance between the two charges (in meters, m)
Important points:
* The force is attractive if the charges have opposite signs (one positive and one negative).
* The force is repulsive if the charges have the same sign (both positive or both negative).
* The force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the charges. This means that if you double the distance, the force decreases by a factor of four.
Note: This formula only applies to point charges. For more complex charge distributions, you may need to use more advanced techniques such as integration.
