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Two 4.0 kg masses are 1.0 m apart on a frictionless table. Each has 1.0 μC of charge.What is the magnitude of the electric force on one of the masses?

User Donnelle
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1 Answer

5 votes

Coulomb's law:

Force = (8.99×10⁹ N m² / C²) · (charge₁) · (charge₂) / distance²

= (
8.99×10⁹ N m² / C²) (1 x 10⁻⁶ C) (1 x 10⁻⁶ C) / (1.0 m)²

= (8.99×10⁹ x 1×10⁻¹² / 1.0) N

= 8.99×10⁻³ N

= 0.00899 N repelling.

Notice that there's a lot of information in the question that you don't need.
It's only there to distract you, confuse you, and see whether you know
what to ignore.

-- '4.0 kg masses'; don't need it.
Mass has no effect on the electric force between them.

-- 'frictionless table'; don't need it.
Friction has no effect on the force between them,
only on how they move in response to the force.
User Ethan Coon
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8.1k points