Understanding Coulomb's Law
Coulomb's Law describes the force between two charged objects:
* F = k * (q1 * q2) / r²
Where:
* F is the electrostatic force (repulsion or attraction)
* k is Coulomb's constant (approximately 8.98755 × 10⁹ N⋅m²/C²)
* q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the charges on the two objects
* r is the distance between the centers of the two objects
Applying the Changes
1. Doubling the Charge: If you double the charge on each sphere (q1 and q2), the force will be multiplied by a factor of 2 * 2 = 4.
2. Halving the Distance: If you halve the distance between the spheres (r), the force will be multiplied by a factor of (1/2)² = 1/4.
Combined Effect
Since you're increasing the force by a factor of 4 and decreasing it by a factor of 1/4, the net effect on the force is:
4 * (1/4) = 1
Conclusion
The force of repulsion will remain the same.
