Which of the following statements about like charges is true?

Like charges are characterized by their behavior in relation to one another, which is fundamental in understanding electrostatics. When two charges are of the same kind, such as both being positive or both being negative, they repel each other due to the electrostatic force. This repulsion occurs because like charges create a similar electric field which influences each other in such a way that they push apart.

This concept is rooted in Coulomb's law, which describes how electric charges interact. The law indicates that the force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. Therefore, since like charges create repulsive forces, they move away from one another when they are brought close together.

Understanding this principle is crucial for practical applications in electrical engineering and physics, particularly when dealing with circuits, charge distribution, and electrostatic phenomena.