What is a Charge Calculator?
A charge calculator uses Coulomb's Law to calculate the electrostatic force between two charged particles. This fundamental principle in physics describes how electric charges interact with each other.
Formula
The electrostatic force is calculated using Coulomb's Law:
$$F = K_e \cdot \frac{q_1 \cdot q_2}{r^2}$$
Where:
- F is the electrostatic force (Newtons)
- K_e is Coulomb's constant (8.98755 x 10^9 N·m²/C²)
- q₁ is the first charge (Coulombs)
- q₂ is the second charge (Coulombs)
- r is the distance between charges (meters)
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the magnitude of the first charge in Coulombs
- Enter the magnitude of the second charge in Coulombs
- Enter the distance between the charges in meters
- Click "Calculate" to see the electrostatic force
Example Calculation
For two charges:
- Charge 1 (q₁) = 15 C
- Charge 2 (q₂) = 25 C
- Distance (r) = 3 m
$$F = 8.98755 \times 10^9 \cdot \frac{15 \times 25}{3^2}$$
$$F = 8.98755 \times 10^9 \cdot \frac{375}{9}$$
$$F = 3.744 \times 10^{11} \text{ N}$$
The electrostatic force between these two charges is approximately 374.4 billion Newtons.
Understanding Coulomb's Law
Coulomb's Law states that:
- Like charges repel each other (positive force)
- Opposite charges attract each other (negative force)
- The force is directly proportional to the product of the charges
- The force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance
This means that doubling the distance between charges reduces the force by a factor of four, while doubling either charge doubles the force.