Coulomb's law gives the force between two point charges q₁ and q₂ separated by distance r in vacuum as
A{'text': 'F = k q₁ q₂ / r²', 'label': 'A'}
B{'text': 'F = k q₁ q₂ / r', 'label': 'B'}
C{'text': 'F = k q₁ q₂ × r', 'label': 'C'}
D{'text': 'F = k q₁ q₂ × r²', 'label': 'D'}
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. {'text': 'F = k q₁ q₂ / r²', 'label': 'A'}
1. Coulomb's law is the fundamental inverse-square law for electric force.
2. F = k q₁ q₂ / r² where k = 1/(4πε₀) ≈ 9 × 10⁹ N m² C⁻².
3. The force is attractive for opposite charges, repulsive for like.
4. It acts along the line joining the two charges.
_Source: NCERT Class 12 Physics, Ch 1 "Electric Charges and Fields", §1.5_
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