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
Added protons, however, feel the repulsion of all other protons, since the Coulomb force is longer in range.
From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015
We start by noting the centripetal force causing the electron to follow a circular path is supplied by the Coulomb force.
From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015
The Coulomb force is extraordinarily strong compared with the gravitational force, another basic force—but unlike gravitational force it can cancel, since it can be either attractive or repulsive.
From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015
Both the magnitude and direction of the Coulomb force field depend on Q and the test charge q .
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.
