Question

Two charged balloons, one black and one red, are separated by some distance [r]. The black balloon has [5] times the charge of the red balloon. The black balloon exerts a force of [f_textblack-red] on the red balloon, and the red balloon exerts a force of [f_textred-black] on the black balloon. How does the magnitude of [f_textblack-red] compare to [f_textred-black]?

1) Its magnitude is [5] times as large.
2) Its magnitude is [dfrac15] as large.
3) Its magnitude is [25] times as large.
4) The two forces have the same magnitude.

Answer 1

The magnitudes of the forces the two charged balloons exert on each other, f_textblack-red and f_textred-black, are the same, in accordance with Coulomb's law and Newton's third law of motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering two charged balloons, one with a greater charge than the other, and analyzing the force they exert on each other, it's important to reference Coulomb's law. This law states that the magnitude of the electrostatic force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This principle is also reflected in Newton's third law, which asserts that for every action force, there is an equal and opposite reaction force. Thus, the black balloon exerts a force on the red balloon that is equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the force exerted by the red balloon on the black balloon. Consequently, the magnitudes of f_textblack-red and f_textred-black are the same, regardless of the difference in the charges on the balloons.