Question

What creates a greater magnitude of force, two charges +q a distance r apart or two charges – q the same distance apart?

a) Two charges +q.

b) Two charges – q.

c) The force is the same for both.

d) Depends on the distance.

Answer 1

According to Coulomb's law, the magnitude of force between two charges depends on the magnitudes of the charges and the distance between them, not the sign of the charges. Therefore, the force is the same for both +q and -q when separated by the same distance r.

Step-by-step explanation:

The magnitude of force between two charges is determined by Coulomb's law, which is independent of the sign of the charges and thus the same for two positive charges +q and two negative charges -q. The formula for Coulomb's law is F = k|q1q2|/r2, where k is Coulomb's constant, q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the charges, and r is the distance between the charges. Since the law depends on the magnitude of the charges and not their sign, the resultant force's magnitude will be the same whether the charges are positive or negative.