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If the force experienced by a positively charged balloon is 2.7 newtons and the electric field strength is 7.8 × 105 newtons/coulomb, what is the magnitude of the charge on the balloon?

User Mohd Belal
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2 Answers

2 votes

For Plato users it A

User Louis Lecocq
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2 votes

If you're careful about units, then you can do just about anything with
the two given quantities, and the answer will fall out on the desk right
there in front of you:

(2.7 newtons) / (7.8x 10⁵ newtons/coulomb)

Divide numerator
and denominator
by (newton), and
you have (2.7 coulomb) / (7.8 x 10⁵) = 3.46 x 10⁻⁶ coulomb

= 3.46 micro-coulombs

Notice that you didn't describe the direction of the force on the balloon, so
the flavor of the charge on it doesn't matter. A negatively charged balloon
with 3.46 microcoulombs on it would feel exactly the same force, but it would
be in the other direction.

User Swarnamayee Mallia
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8.2k points