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
Effect of Tripling the Distance
When you triple the distance (r) between the charges, the force changes as follows:
* New distance = 3r
* New force = k * (q1 * q2) / (3r)²
* New force = k * (q1 * q2) / 9r²
Conclusion
Therefore, tripling the distance between two positive charges reduces the electric force between them by a factor of 9.
In simpler terms: The electric force gets weaker much faster than the distance increases.
