Are like charges attracted to each other?

Like charges are not attracted to each other; rather, they repel each other. This principle is based on Coulomb's Law, which states that like charges—such as two positive or two negative charges—will exert a repulsive force between them.

When charges are alike, they create a force that pushes them apart. This repulsion is a fundamental characteristic of electric charges and helps explain various phenomena in electrostatics. For instance, when two negatively charged objects are brought close, they will push each other away instead of pulling together.

It's important to note that while like charges repel, opposite charges attract. This distinction is crucial in understanding the behavior of electric forces in various applications, such as electric circuits, capacitors, and in the study of atoms and molecules.