Push, Pull, and How Hard

You'll learnhow charged objects push and pull on each other: which way, how hard, and why the strongest force there is still does not run the solar system.

Two charged objects, 20 cm apart. Do they pull or push, how hard, and what changes when the distance doubles or a third charge joins in? Twelve short steps; press Next for each one.

12 STEPS · 6 QUICK CHECKS · PULL OR PUSH · THE INVERSE SQUARE · WHY GRAVITY WINS · v2

size from the formula · direction from the picture

Before you start

What you're looking at

Small charged objects on a line. Red with a + is positive, blue with a − is negative. The amber arrows are the forces they feel.

The question

Which way does each charge get pushed, and how hard?

Step 1 / 12