Two point charges, each 6*10-5 C, are separated by 30 cm. What is the electrostatic force produced by this arrangement?
To find the electrostatic force produced by this arrangement, we can use Coulomb's law. Coulomb's law states that the electrostatic 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.
The formula for Coulomb's law is:
F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2
Where:
F is the electrostatic force
k is the electrostatic constant (9 * 10^9 N.m^2/C^2)
q1 and q2 are the charges
r is the distance between the charges
In this case, the charges q1 and q2 are both 6 * 10^(-5) C, and the distance r is 30 cm (or 0.3 m). Plugging these values into the formula, we get:
F = (9 * 10^9 N.m^2/C^2) * (6 * 10^(-5) C * 6 * 10^(-5) C) / (0.3 m)^2
Simplifying this equation, we get:
F = (9 * 10^9 N.m^2/C^2) * (36 * 10^(-10) C^2) / 0.09 m^2
F = (9 * 10^9 N.m^2/C^2) * 4 * 10^(-10) C^2 / 0.09 m^2
Calculating this expression, we find:
F ≈ 4 * 10^(-1) N
Therefore, the electrostatic force produced by this arrangement is approximately 0.4 N.