Two point charges, the first with a charge of +3.25×10−6 C and the second with a charge of -4.63×10−6 C , are separated by 25.5 cm.
Find the magnitude of the electrostatic force experienced by the positive charge. Is the magnitude of the force experienced by the negative charge greater than, less than, or the same as that experienced by the positive charge?
2/5 3 2/3=22/15
To find the magnitude of the electrostatic force experienced by the positive charge, we can use Coulomb's law, which states that the magnitude of the electrostatic force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the separation distance between them.
The formula for Coulomb's law is:
F = k * (|q1| * |q2|) / r^2
where F is the electrostatic force, k is the electrostatic constant (8.99 × 10^9 N·m^2/C^2), |q1| and |q2| are the magnitudes of the charges, and r is the separation distance between the charges.
Given:
|q1| = 3.25 × 10^(-6) C
|q2| = -4.63 × 10^(-6) C (negative charge)
r = 25.5 cm = 0.255 m
We can substitute these values into the formula and calculate the electrostatic force experienced by the positive charge:
F = (8.99 × 10^9 N·m^2/C^2) * (|3.25 × 10^(-6) C| * |-4.63 × 10^(-6) C|) / (0.255 m)^2
F = 0.0175 N
The magnitude of the electrostatic force experienced by the positive charge is 0.0175 N.
To determine whether the magnitude of the force experienced by the negative charge is greater than, less than, or the same as that experienced by the positive charge, we need to consider the fact that the force is attractive for opposite charges and repulsive for like charges.
In this case, since the positive and negative charges have opposite signs, the force experienced by the negative charge will have the same magnitude as the force experienced by the positive charge. Therefore, the magnitude of the force experienced by the negative charge is the same as that experienced by the positive charge, both being 0.0175 N.