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Coulomb's Constant

Definition

Coulomb's constant, denoted by k, is a proportionality constant that appears in Coulomb's law. It relates the magnitude of electrostatic force between two charged objects to their charges and the distance between them.

Analogy

Imagine Coulomb's constant as a "glue" that holds together the relationship between charges and forces. Just like how glue keeps things connected, Coulomb's constant ensures that the strength of the electrostatic force is determined by the charges involved and their separation distance.

Related terms

Electric Charge: Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter that can be positive or negative. Charged objects exert electric forces on each other.

Force Field: A force field is an invisible region around an object where it exerts a force on other objects within its influence. In this case, it refers to the electric field created by charged particles.

Inverse Square Law: The inverse square law states that certain physical quantities (like intensity or force) decrease with the square of the distance from the source. In Coulomb's law, this means that electrostatic forces decrease as the distance between charged objects increases squared.