The exercise gives a new perspective on the electromagnetic fundamental force as an inverse square law. While it is certainly true that the force between individual electrostatic charges falls off with the inverse square of the distance, the same is not true of groups of opposite and unequal charges arranged alternately within a regular array. Such arrays produce complex force/distance relationships sufficient to model the Coulomb barrier and fusion potential curve, as demonstrated here. But combinations of opposite and unequal charges also have the capacity to emulate or model quark "confinement," another unusual behavior of the strong nuclear force.