What is the Difference Between Electrostatic Force and Gravitational Force?

The main differences between electrostatic force and gravitational force are:

1. Nature of the force: Gravitational force is the force by which Earth attracts another object due to its mass, while electrostatic force is the force between objects due to their charge.
2. Dependence on medium: Gravitational force does not depend on the medium, while electrostatic force depends on the medium (charge).
3. Attractive or repulsive: Gravitational force is only attractive, whereas electrostatic force can be both attractive and repulsive, depending on the charges of the interacting objects.
4. Formula: The formula for gravitational force is F = (G m1m2)/r^2, where G is the gravitational constant, m1 and m2 are the masses of the interacting objects, and r is the distance between them. The formula for electrostatic force is F = (kq1q2)/r^2, where k is the proportionality constant (1/4π€o), €o is the permittivity of a vacuum (9 × 10^9 N/C^2), and q1 and q2 are the charges of the interacting objects.
5. Strength: Electrostatic force is significantly stronger than gravitational force. The electric force is unimaginably greater than the force of gravity.

In summary, gravitational force is a weaker, long-range force that acts between objects with mass, while electrostatic force is a stronger, shorter-range force that acts between charged objects.

Comparative Table: Electrostatic Force vs Gravitational Force

Here is a table comparing the differences between electrostatic force and gravitational force:

Electrostatic force is a non-contact force that acts between two charged objects, while gravitational force is a non-contact force that acts between two objects with mass, such as Earth and another object. Electrostatic force can be either attractive or repulsive, depending on the charges of the objects, whereas gravitational force is always attractive. Additionally, electrostatic force depends on the medium in which the charges are placed, whereas gravitational force is independent of the medium.