Coulomb’s law (also known as Coulomb’s inverse-square law) is a law of physics that defines the amount of force between two stationary, electrically charged particles (known as the electrostatic force). Coulomb’s law was discovered by Charles-Augustin de Coulomb in 1785. Hence the law and the associated formula was named after him.
Coulomb’s Law Definition
Colomb’s law states that the magnitude of the electrostatic force of attraction or repulsion between two electrically charged bodies is directly proportional to the product of the charge of the charged bodies and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the center of the charged bodies.
This inverse-square relationship is why the law is also referred to as Coulomb’s inverse-square law.
This concept can be confusing when first introduced. Looking at the formula for Coulomb’s Law below can help you visualize the relationship between charge and distance, and how this influences the electrostatic force (electrostatic force is the electric force between charged bodies at rest. This is also known as the Coulomb force).