Question

A fixed system of charges exerts a force of magnitude 22 N on a 4.0 C charge. The 4.0 C charge is replaced with a 8.0 C charge. What is the exact magnitude of the force (in N) exerted by the system of charges on the 8.0 C charge? Do not include units with your answer.

Answer 1

44 N

Step-by-step explanation:

The electrostatic forces between two charges is given by:

`F=k(q_1 q_2)/(r^2)`

where

k is the Coulomb's constant

q1 and q2 are the two charges

r is their separation

We notice that the force is directly proportional to the charges.

In this problem, initially we have a force of

F = 22 N

on a q2 = 4.0 C, exerted by a charge q1.

If the charge is doubled,

q2 = 8.0 C

This means that the force will also double, so it will be

`F=22 N \cdot 2 = 44 N`