Through the Coulomb force, particles with equal charges repel each other, but particles with opposite charges attract each other.

The electrostatic force by which charged particles interact. Particles with equal charges repel each other, while particles with opposite charges attract each other. The magnitude of the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the particles. It is therefore a long-range force that is commonly manifested in the macroscopic world. At the atomic level, it acts over distances of up to 10⁻¹⁶ metres. The protons in the nucleus of an atom repel each other due to the Coulombic force, but are held together by the much stronger but short-range strong nuclear force.