Final answer:
When the distance between two point charges is doubled, the electrostatic force between them is reduced by a factor of four due to the inverse square relationship described by Coulomb's law.
Step-by-step explanation:
The magnitude of the electrostatic force between two point charges is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them, according to Coulomb's Law. The law is mathematically represented as F = k * (|q1 * q2| / r^2) where F is the force, k is Coulomb's constant (8.99 x 10^9 N·m²/C²), q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the charges, and r is the distance between the charges. If the distance between the charges is doubled, according to the formula, the force will be reduced by a factor of 2^2, which is 4. Therefore, the new electrostatic force will be 80 N / 4, resulting in a force of 20 N.