What is the formula that represents Coulomb's law for electrostatic force?

Prepare for the Electrical Apprenticeship Year 2 L8-20 Test. Utilize flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Ace your exam!

Coulomb's law describes the electrostatic force between two point charges. The correct representation of this law incorporates a proportionality constant (k), the magnitudes of the two charges (q1 and q2), and the distance (r) between them.

The formula states that the electrostatic force (F) between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This relationship is mathematically expressed as F = k(q1 * q2)/r^2.

The presence of r squared in the denominator emphasizes that as the distance between the charges increases, the force decreases rapidly, illustrating the inverse square law characteristic. This is aligned with other fundamental forces in physics, such as gravity.

Other choices lack the essential components or correct structure that are crucial for accurately representing the electrostatic interaction dictated by Coulomb's law, particularly the positioning of the charges and the specific relationship to distance.

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