Final answer:
The magnitude of the force that each sphere experiences can be calculated using Coulomb's Law. In this case, the force is 5.15 N and it is attractive because the charges have opposite signs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The magnitude of the force that each sphere experiences can be calculated using Coulomb's Law. Coulomb's Law states that the force between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
The formula for Coulomb's Law is:
F = k * |Q₁ * Q₂| / r²
Where F is the force, k is the electrostatic constant (9 x 10^9 Nm²/C²), Q₁ and Q₂ are the charges of the objects, and r is the distance between them.
In this case, we have Q₁ = -20.2 µC, Q₂ = +55.0 µC, and r = 2.61 cm = 0.0261 m.
Plugging in these values, we can calculate the force:
F = (9 x 10^9 Nm²/C²) * |-20.2 µC * 55.0 µC| / (0.0261 m)² = 5.15 N
The force is attractive because the charges have opposite signs.