Final answer:
The electric force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. If the distance between the charges is increased, the force decreases according to the inverse square law.
Step-by-step explanation:
The electric force between two charges can be calculated using Coulomb's law, which states that the force is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. In this case, we are given that the electric force between the charges is 10 N when the distance between them is 1 m.
To find the electric force after the distance is increased to 1.2 m, we can use the inverse square law. Since the distance is increased by a factor of 1.2, the force will decrease by a factor of (1/1.2)2 = 0.694.
Therefore, the electric force after the distance is increased to 1.2 m is 10 N x 0.694 = 6.94 N.