Q.When the distance between the charges is halved, the force between the charges become :
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The Intuition: Why Does Light Get Dimmer So Fast?
Imagine you're standing near a campfire. You feel its warmth on your face. Now take ten steps back. Does the warmth feel half as strong? No — it feels much weaker, maybe a quarter as strong. That's not an accident. It's a pattern that shows up everywhere in physics: gravity, light, sound, electric fields, even radiation.
The reason is simple: as you move away from a source, the same amount of energy (or force) has to spread out over a larger area. And that area grows with the square of the distance.
The Core Idea in One Picture
Think of a light bulb at the centre of a balloon. As you inflate the balloon, the light hitting the inner surface spreads thinner and thinner. If you double the radius of the balloon, the surface area becomes four times larger. So each patch of the balloon gets only one-fourth the light.
That's the inverse square law in a nutshell: double the distance → one-fourth the intensity.
The Precise Statement
I∝r21orI=r2k
where:
- I = intensity (brightness, force per unit area, etc.)
- r = distance from the source
- k = a constant that depends on the source's strength
If you compare two distances r1 and r2, the ratio of intensities is:
I1I2=(r2r1)2
This is the inverse square law comparison — you compare how strong a quantity is at two different distances by taking the inverse ratio of the squares of those distances.
Why "Inverse Square" and Not Just "Inverse"?
Because the geometry of space is three-dimensional. The surface of a sphere is 4πr2. As r grows, the sphere's surface grows as r2. Whatever is radiating outward (light, sound, gravity) must pass through that entire surface. So the amount per unit area drops as 1/r2.
If we lived in a flat, two-dimensional world, the law would be 1/r (like ripples on a pond). In one dimension, it would be constant. The inverse square law is a direct consequence of living in three dimensions.
The Comparison: What It Really Means
When you compare two situations, you're not calculating absolute intensity — you're finding the ratio. For example:
A star is 3 times farther away than another identical star. How much dimmer does it appear?
InearIfar=(31)2=91
The farther star is 9 times dimmer. Not 3 times — 9 times. That's the punch of the square.
A common mistake: thinking "twice the distance means half the intensity." It's actually one-fourth. The square makes the drop much steeper than linear intuition suggests. …
Why this formula?
Inverse Square Law Comparison — Why the Formula Holds
The Inverse Square Law appears in physics wherever a quantity spreads out uniformly from a point source in three-dimensional space. The core idea is that the intensity (or field strength) decreases as the square of the distance from the source.
1. The Intuition: Spreading Over a Sphere
Imagine a point source emitting energy, light, sound, or gravitational force equally in all directions.
- At a distance r, the energy is spread uniformly over the surface area of a sphere of radius r.
- The surface area of a sphere is:
A=4πr2
If the total power (or flux) emitted by the source is P, then the intensity I (power per unit area) at distance r is:
I=4πr2P
Key insight: The same total power is spread over a larger and larger area as r increases. Hence, intensity is inversely proportional to r2.
2. Derivation for Gravitational Force (Newton's Law)
Newton’s law of gravitation states:
F=r2GMm
Why 1/r2?
- The gravitational field lines from a point mass M radiate outward uniformly.
- The number of field lines crossing a sphere of radius r is constant (conservation of flux).
- The density of field lines (force per unit mass) at distance r is:
g=r2GM
- This is because the total flux Φ=4πGM is spread over 4πr2, giving:
g=4πr2Φ=r2GM
Thus, the force on a test mass m is F=mg=r2GMm.
3. Derivation for Coulomb's Law (Electrostatics)
Coulomb’s law for electric force between two point charges q1 and q2:
F=r2kq1q2
Why 1/r2?
- Electric field lines from a point charge q radiate radially outward (or inward for negative charge).
- Gauss’s law states that the total electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the enclosed charge:
∮E⋅dA=ε0q
- For a sphere of radius r centered on the charge, the field is radial and constant in magnitude:
E⋅4πr2=ε0q
- Therefore:
E=4πε01r2q
- The force on a test charge q2 is F=q2E=4πε01r2q1q2.
4. Derivation for Light/Radiation Intensity
For a point source of light emitting power P:
- At distance r, the power is spread over a sphere of area 4πr2.
- Illuminance (intensity) is:
I=4πr2P
Why not 1/r?
- In 2D (e.g., a line source), intensity falls as 1/r because the circumference of a circle is 2πr.
- In 3D, the surface area grows as r2, so intensity falls as 1/r2.
5. The Common Mathematical Reason
All inverse square laws arise from conservation of flux in three-dimensional space with isotropic emission. The geometry forces: …
By Coulomb's law the force between two charges varies inversely as the square of their separation, so shrinking the distance to half multiplies the force by a fa …
By Coulomb's law F∝1/r2; halving the separation r quadruples the force.
Coulomb's law states
F=4πε01r2q1q2
If the distance is halved, r′=r/2, then …
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The electric field E at a distance r due to a point charge is:(a) E ∝ r(b) E ∝ 1/r²(c) E ∝ 1/r(d) E ∝ 1/r³
›Reveal solutionSolution
By Coulomb's law the field of a point charge is E=4πε01r2q, so E∝1/r2.
The force on a small test charge q0 placed at distance r from a point charge q is F=4πε01r2qq0 (Coulomb's law). The electric field is defined as force per unit test charge, E=F/q0=4πε01r2q. Since q and the constant 4πε01 do not depend on r, the field varies only through the 1/r2 te …
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The force between two point charges placed at distance r apart, is F. If the distance increased to 2r between the charges then force will be(a) F(b) F/2(c) F/4(d) F/8
›Reveal solutionSolution
Coulomb's force follows an inverse-square law, so doubling the separation cuts the force to one-quarter.
Coulomb's law: F=4πε01r2q1q2=r2kq1q2
At separation r: F=r2kq1q2
…
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.When the distance between the charges is halved, the force between the charges become :(a) half(b) twice(c) four times(d) none of these
›Reveal solutionSolution
By Coulomb's law F∝1/r2; halving the separation r quadruples the force.
Coulomb's law states
F=4πε01r2q1q2
If the distance is halved, r′=r/2, then …
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Two charged metallic spheres with radii R1 and R2 respectively are brought in contact and then separated they carry same charge after separation. What is the ratio of electric fields at the surface of two sphere after separation?
›Reveal solutionSolution
Surface field E=kQ/R2; with equal charge Q on each sphere, E∝1/R2.
The electric field at the surface of a charged conducting sphere of radius R carrying charge Q is E=R2kQ. Given that after separation both spheres carry the same charge Q (as stated), the field at each surface is inversely proportiona …
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If both the charges and distance between them is doubled, then the new electrostatic force will be(a) F(b) 2F(c) 3F(d) 4F
›Reveal solutionSolution
Doubling both charges and the distance leaves the electrostatic force unchanged because the charge-product factor of 4 exactly cancels the distance-squared factor of 4.
Coulomb's law: F=4πε01r2q1q2=kr2q1q2
Let the new charges be q1′=2q1, q2′=2q2, and the new separation r′=2r.
…
- CBSE 2023Set MODEL1 markMCQQ.An electric charge q is placed in vacuum. The electric field intensity E at a point P at r-distance from charge will be:(a) E∝r1(b) E∝r21(c) E∝r(d) E∝r31
›Reveal solutionSolution
The electric field of a point charge falls off as the inverse square of distance.
By Coulomb's law, the electric field due to a point charge q at a distance r is
E=4πε01r2q …
- CBSE 2023Set F1 markMCQQ.The ratio of electric force and gravitational force acting between two charges is in the order of (A) 10^42 (B) 10^39 (C) 10^36 (D) 1
›Reveal solutionSolution
For two electrons, Fe/Fg≈4×1042 — order 10⁴².
Both forces between two identical charges (electrons) obey an inverse-square law, so the distance cancels in the ratio:
FgFe=Gr2me24πε01r2e2=4πε0Gme2e2.
Putting e=1.6×10−19 C and me=9.1×10−31 kg gives ≈4×1042 — i.e. of order 1042.
…
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markQ.Between an electron and a proton, which is stronger, the electrostatic force or the gravitational force?
›Reveal solutionSolution
Coulomb's law force between an electron and proton vastly exceeds Newton's gravitational force between them, because e²/(4πε₀) is enormously larger than Gm_em_p.
Electrostatic force: Fe=4πε01r2e2. Gravitational force: Fg=r2Gmemp.
Taking the ratio (the r2 cancels): FgFe=Gmempe2/4πε0≈2.3×1039
…
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Two charges +1μC and +8μC are situated at a distance in air. The ratio of forces acting on them is:(a) 1 : 8(b) 8 : 1(c) 1 : 1(d) 1 : 16
›Reveal solutionSolution
The forces are an action–reaction pair, so they are equal in magnitude: ratio 1 : 1, option (C).
The Coulomb force each charge exerts on the other is
F=4πϵ01r2q1q2.
Both charges share the same product q1q2 and the same separation r, so the magnitude is identical for each. This is also required by Newton's third law: the force on charge 1 due to charge 2 is equal and …
- CBSE 2020Set ANNUAL1 markQ.The force of attraction between a positively charged particle and a negatively charged particle is F. When distance between them is made one fourth, what will be the value of this force?
›Reveal solutionSolution
By Coulomb's law F∝1/r2; reducing distance to one-fourth increases force 16 times.
Coulomb's law: F=4πε01r2q1q2, so F∝r21.
If new distance r′=r/4: …
- CBSE 2018Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.When the distance between two charged particles is doubled, the force between them becomes: (A) one-fourth (B) half (C) double (D) four times
›Reveal solutionSolution
By Coulomb's law, force varies as 1/r2, so doubling r divides the force by 4.
Coulomb's law gives the force between two point charges q1,q2 separated by distance r as
F=4πε01r2q1q2
If the separation is doubled, r→2r, then …
- CBSE 2018Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The intensity of electric field E due to charge Q at distance r :(a) E ∝ r(b) E ∝ 1/r(c) E ∝ 1/r²(d) E ∝ 1/r³
›Reveal solutionSolution
By Coulomb's law the field of a point charge is E = kQ/r², so E ∝ 1/r².
The electric field intensity at a point is the force per unit positive test charge. For a point charge Q, the magnitude of the field at distance r is
E = (1/4πε₀) × (Q / r²) = kQ/r²,
…
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