Coulomb force
Americannoun
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The force exerted by stationary objects bearing electric charge on other stationary objects bearing electric charge. If the charges are of the same sign, then the force is repulsive; if they are of opposite signs, the force is attractive. The strength of the force is described by Coulomb's law.
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Also called electrostatic force
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In physics, interactions such as gravity and the Coulomb force are known as central forces because they act along the line connecting the centers of two bodies.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2025
Compare each item in your list of Coulomb force field properties with those of the electric field—are they the same or different?
From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015
Figure 18.28 The Coulomb force field due to a positive charge Q is shown acting on two different charges.
From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015
The Coulomb force prevents the ions from diffusing across in their entirety.
From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015
This cloud is shifted by the Coulomb force so that the atom on average has a separation of charge.
From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
