111k views
5 votes
Is the direction of the Coulomb force unique at a given point in space, but not the magnitude?

1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The direction of the Coulomb force is not unique, while the magnitude is. The direction of the force depends on the charges and their positions, while the magnitude depends on the charges and the distance between them.

Step-by-step explanation:

The direction and magnitude of the Coulomb force at a given point in space are not unique. The direction of the Coulomb force depends on the charges involved and their positions. The Coulomb force can be attractive or repulsive, depending on the charges and their relative positions.

For example, if two positive charges are placed close to each other, the Coulomb force between them will be repulsive. On the other hand, if a positive charge and a negative charge are placed close to each other, the Coulomb force between them will be attractive.

However, the magnitude of the Coulomb force is unique at a given point in space. The magnitude of the Coulomb force depends on the charge of the objects and the distance between them. According to Coulomb's law, the magnitude of the Coulomb force is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

User Tesfa Koli
by
7.1k points