Two point charges, +4 μC and -8 μC, are placed 2 meters apart. Determine the magnitude and direction of the electric force between them.
Guide On Rating System
Vote
To find the magnitude and direction of the electric force between the two charges, we can use Coulomb's Law.
Coulomb's Law states that the electric force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:
F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2
where F is the electric force, k is the electrostatic constant (k ≈ 9 × 10^9 Nm²/C²), q1 and q2 are the charges of the two point charges, and r is the distance between them.
In this case, q1 = 4 μC = 4 × 10^(-6) C and q2 = -8 μC = -8 × 10^(-6) C. The distance between them, r, is 2 meters.
Plugging these values into the formula, we have:
F = (9 × 10^9 Nm²/C²) * ((4 × 10^(-6) C) * (-8 × 10^(-6) C)) / (2 m)²
Simplifying, we get:
F = (9 × 10^9 Nm²/C²) * (-32 × 10^(-12) C²) / (2 m)²
F = (-9 × 32 × 10^(-3) N) / 4 m²
F = -72 × 10^(-3) N / 4 m²
F = -18 × 10^(-3) N / m²
Therefore, the magnitude of the electric force between the charges is 18 × 10^(-3) N/m². Since the force is negative, it indicates an attractive force.
Note: The negative sign in the force indicates that the force is attractive.
Got a question with my answer?
Cheapmath.com is completely free!
Asking question is free.
Getting answers is free.
+99