abcoulomb (abC)

The abcoulomb (abbreviated abC) is the unit of charge quantity in the cgs (centimeter/gram/second) system of electromagnetic units. It is approximately equal to the charge contained in 6.24 x 10¹⁹ electrons.

The force with which two electrically charged bodies attract or repel one another depends on the product of the charges in abcoulombs in both objects, and also on the distance between the objects. If the polarities are the same, the force is repulsive; if the polarities are opposite, the force is attractive. For any two charged bodies, the force decreases in proportion to the square of the distance between their charge centers.

The abcoulomb is a moderately large unit in practical terms, equivalent to 10 coulombs (C). In most applications, the coulomb, which is the standard unit of charge quantity in the International System of Units (SI), is preferred.

Also see charge quantity, cgs or small-unit metric system, and International System of Units (SI).

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