Final answer:
The electrostatic force that varies with the square of the distance between charged objects was described by Charles Coulomb, who formalized this principle in Coulomb's Law.
Step-by-step explanation:
The electrostatic force, FE, which varies inversely with the square of the distance between the centers of two charged objects, was first described by the French physicist Charles Coulomb. This principle is encapsulated in what is known as Coulomb's Law. Coulomb's Law states that the electrostatic force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Experiments by Coulomb in the late 18th century led to the refinement of the fundamental properties of the electrostatic force, including the existence of two types of charge and the fact that like charges repel while opposite charges attract. These findings were formally expressed through the mathematical formula of Coulomb's Law, which has played a critical role in the understanding of electrostatic phenomena.