Two equal point charges are separated by a distance d. When the separation is reduced to d/4, what happens to the force between the charges?
A) it decreases by a factor of 4
B) it increases by a factor of 4
C) it increases by a factor of 8
D) it increases by a factor of 16
E) it increases by a factor of more than 16

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Coulomb's Law, the force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of their separation distance. Therefore, if the separation distance is reduced to 1/4 of the initial distance, the force will increase by a factor of (1/(1/4)^2) = 16.

Two Equal Point Charges Are Separated by a Distance D