What occurs when two like charges are placed side by side?

When two like charges are placed side by side, they will repel each other. This behavior is rooted in the fundamental laws of electrostatics, specifically Coulomb's Law, which states that like charges (either both positive or both negative) will exert a force that pushes them apart. Essentially, the electric fields generated by each charge interact in such a way that they create a repulsive force between them.

This phenomenon can be observed in practical applications, such as the behavior of magnets; similar poles repel each other, similar to how unlike charges attract. The repulsive force is a key concept in electricity and plays a role in understanding the interactions of electric fields and the behavior of charged particles.