In the CGS (centimeter-gram-second) system of units, the value of the constant in Coulomb's law, often denoted as K or k, is different from its value in the SI (International System of Units) system. In the CGS system, the value of the electrostatic constant is:
K = 1
In the CGS system, the unit of charge is the statcoulomb (statC), the unit of distance is the centimeter (cm), and the unit of force is the dyne (dyn). Since K = 1 in CGS, the formula for Coulomb's law in CGS units simplifies to:
Force (dyn) = Charge1 (statC) × Charge2 (statC) / Distance^2 (cm^2)
This means that in CGS, the force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.