Calculating the Force Between Charges
What is the magnitude of the force between two charges?
A charge of −0.0004 C is a distance of 3 meters from a charge of 0.0003 C. Calculate the force between them.
Answer:
The magnitude of the force between two charges can be calculated using the formula:
F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2
Where: F = force k = constant = 9 x 10^9 kgm^3/s^2m^2 q1 = charge 1 = -0.0004 C q2 = charge 2 = 0.0003 C r = distance = 3 meters
By substituting the values into the formula, we get: F = 9 x 10^9 * (-0.0004 * 0.0003) / 3^2 F = 120 N
When calculating the force between charges, it is essential to consider the magnitudes of the charges and the distance between them. In this case, we have one charge of −0.0004 C and another charge of 0.0003 C placed 3 meters apart. By applying Coulomb's Law formula, which states that the force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them, we can determine the force acting on the charges.
The constant k, also known as Coulomb's constant, plays a crucial role in the calculation and is equal to 9 x 10^9 kgm^3/s^2m^2. Substituting the given values into the formula allows us to find that the force between the charges is 120 Newtons (N).
Therefore, the magnitude of the force between a charge of −0.0004 C and a charge of 0.0003 C, separated by a distance of 3 meters, is 120 N.