Answer:
The magnitude of the electrostatic force decreases by a factor 9
Explanation:
The electrostatic force between two charges is given by:
\(F=k\frac{q_1 q_2}{d^2}\)
where
k is the Coulomb's constant
q1 and q2 are the two charges
d is the distance between the two charges
We see that the magnitude of the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance. If the distance is increased to 3d: d' = 3d, the new electrostatic force would be:
\(F'=k\frac{q_1 q_2}{(d')^2}=k\frac{q_1 q_2}{(3d)^2}=\frac{1}{9} k\frac{q_1 q_2}{d^2}=\frac{F}{9}\)
So, the electrostatic force decreases by a factor 9.
