Final answer:
The force of repulsion between two point charges can be calculated using Coulomb's Law. In this case, the force of repulsion between two charges of 5 μC and 8 μC separated by 0.02 m is approximately 1.125 N.
Step-by-step explanation:
The force of repulsion between two point charges can be calculated using Coulomb's Law, which states that the force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The formula for calculating the force of repulsion is given by:
F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2
Where F is the force of repulsion, k is the electrostatic constant, q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the distance between the charges.
In this case, the charges are 5 μC and 8 μC, and the distance between them is 0.02 m. Plugging these values into the formula, we can calculate the force of repulsion:
F = (9 * 10^9 Nm^2/C^2) * ((5 * 10^-6 C) * (8 * 10^-6 C)) / (0.02 m)^2
Calculating this, we get a force of repulsion of approximately 1.125 N.