Question

By what factor will the Electrostatic Force between two charged objects change when the amount of charge on both objects doubles AND the distance between the two charged objects triples?

Answer 1

F' = (4/9)F

Step-by-step explanation:

The electrostatic force between two charged objects is given by Coulomb's Law:

F = kq₁q₂/r² -------------------- equation (1)

where,

F = Electrostatic Force

k = Coulomb's Constant

q₁ = magnitude of first charge

q₂ = magnitude of second charge

r = distance between charges

Now, when the charges and distance altered as follows:

q₁' = 2q₁

q₂' = 2q₂

r' = 3r

Then,

F' = kq₁'q₂'/r'²

F' = k(2q₁)(2q₂)/(3r)²

F' = (4/9)kq₁q₂/r²

using equation (1):

F' = (4/9)F