Final answer:
To calculate the work required to increase the distance between the -6μC and 4μC charges from 6 cm to 18 cm, we can use Coulomb's law. Coulomb's law states that the force between two charges is given by F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2, where F is the force, k is Coulomb's constant, q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the distance between the charges.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the work required to increase the distance between the -6μC and 4μC charges from 6 cm to 18 cm, we can use Coulomb's law. Coulomb's law states that the force between two charges is given by:
F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2
Where F is the force, k is Coulomb's constant (8.99 * 10^9 N * m^2 / C^2), q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the distance between the charges. The work done can be calculated using the equation:
W = F * d
Where W is the work, F is the force, and d is the distance moved.
First, we need to calculate the initial and final forces between the charges:
Initial Force (F1) = k * (-6μC * 4μC) / (0.06m)^2
Final Force (F2) = k * (-6μC * 4μC) / (0.18m)^2
Next, we can calculate the initial and final work:
Initial Work (W1) = F1 * 0.06m
Final Work (W2) = F2 * 0.18m
The work needed to increase the distance between the charges from 6 cm to 18 cm is the difference between the final work and the initial work:
Work = W2 - W1