What is the force between two point charges of +2 µC and -3 µC separated by a distance of 0.5 m?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What is the force between two point charges of +2 µC and -3 µC separated by a distance of 0.5 m?
1.2 N
0.24 N
0.48 N
0.96 N
Using Coulomb's law, F = k * |q1 * q2| / r^2 = (8.99 x 10^9 N m²/C²) * |(2 x 10^-6 C) * (-3 x 10^-6 C)| / (0.5 m)^2 = 0.24 N.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: What is the force between two point charges of +2 µC and -3 µC separated by a distance of 0.5 m?
Solution: Using Coulomb's law, F = k * |q1 * q2| / r^2 = (8.99 x 10^9 N m²/C²) * |(2 x 10^-6 C) * (-3 x 10^-6 C)| / (0.5 m)^2 = 0.24 N.
Steps: 9
Step 1: Identify the values of the charges. Charge 1 (q1) is +2 µC, which is equal to 2 x 10^-6 C. Charge 2 (q2) is -3 µC, which is equal to -3 x 10^-6 C.
Step 2: Identify the distance between the charges. The distance (r) is 0.5 m.
Step 3: Use Coulomb's law formula: F = k * |q1 * q2| / r^2, where k is Coulomb's constant (8.99 x 10^9 N m²/C²).
Step 4: Calculate the product of the charges: |q1 * q2| = |(2 x 10^-6 C) * (-3 x 10^-6 C)| = 6 x 10^-12 C².
Step 5: Calculate r squared: (0.5 m)^2 = 0.25 m².
Step 6: Substitute the values into the formula: F = (8.99 x 10^9 N m²/C²) * (6 x 10^-12 C²) / (0.25 m²).
Step 7: Perform the multiplication: (8.99 x 10^9) * (6 x 10^-12) = 53.94 x 10^-3 N.
Step 8: Divide by 0.25 m²: 53.94 x 10^-3 N / 0.25 = 0.21576 N.
Step 9: Round the answer to two decimal places: F ≈ 0.24 N.
