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Coulomb's Law Calculator

Compute electrostatic force between two point charges: F = k |q1 q2| / r². Default 1 µC and 1 µC at 0.1 m separation. Uses k = 8.9875517923×10⁹ N·m²/C². Informational physics only.

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How to use Coulomb's law calculator

  1. Enter both charges and pick C, µC, or nC.
  2. Enter center-to-center distance in meters.
  3. Read force in newtons. The page uses absolute charge product.
  4. Point charges in vacuum or air approximation only. Nothing is uploaded.

Coulomb's law

F = k |q1 q2| / r²

ForceNewtons along the line joining charges
Constant k8.9875517923×10⁹ N·m²/C² in SI
DistanceMeters between point centers
ChargesSigned values OK; force uses magnitude product
Default1 µC pair at 0.1 m
ApprovalInformational. Not a lab safety review.

Inverse square law

Force magnitude scales with the product of charges and falls with the square of distance. Doubling distance cuts force by four.

Charge units

Enter µC for bench-scale static demos or C for SI textbook values. The engine converts to coulombs before applying k.

Attractive vs repulsive

Like signs repel; opposite signs attract. This page reports magnitude in newtons. Direction follows the sign rule in your diagram.

Different from Q = C V

Capacitor charge from voltage is capacitance to charge. Coulomb's law is force between free charges in space.

Limits

Point charges, no medium correction beyond free-space k.

The formula runs in this tab. CZNull does not receive the numbers.

Informational only. Not wiring, code, or manufacturer approval. See the disclaimer.

What force for two 1 µC charges 0.1 m apart?
About 0.898755 N. The page evaluates F = k × 10⁻¹² / 0.01 with SI units.
Can charges be negative?
Yes. The formula uses |q1 q2| for magnitude. Direction comes from attraction or repulsion separately.
Why is distance in meters?
SI k uses meters squared in the denominator. Convert cm to meters before typing if you measured in cm.
Does this include a dielectric between charges?
No. A medium would need a permittivity factor not modeled on this form.
How is this different from capacitor charge?
Q = C × V is stored charge on plates. Coulomb's law is force between separated point charges.