Electrostatic force is the attractive or repulsive force between charged particles at rest. Like charges repel. Opposite charges attract. The force is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. That is Coulomb's law.

The force is strong. It holds electrons in atoms. It binds atoms into molecules. It makes your hair stand up when you rub a balloon on it. The balloon picks up extra electrons. Your hair loses electrons. The balloon and your hair have opposite charges. They attract. The force is strong enough to lift your hair against gravity.

Electrostatic force in nature

• Holds electrons in orbit around nuclei.
• Binds atoms into molecules.
• Causes static cling and lightning.
• Drives chemical reactions.
• Operates in photocopiers and laser printers.

Electrostatic force is one of the four fundamental forces. It is much stronger than gravity. The electrical repulsion between two protons is about 10^36 times stronger than their gravitational attraction. The only reason gravity dominates on large scales is that matter is mostly neutral. Positive and negative charges cancel. The net electrostatic force is zero. But at small scales, electrostatic force rules. It is the force that makes chemistry possible. It is the force that makes solids solid. It is the force that makes life work. Every bond, every reaction, every signal in your nervous system depends on electrostatic force. It is invisible, but it is everywhere.