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There is a 10 g mass that has a charge of +8 mC resting on a table. What charge is needed to lift this mass off the table if the 2 ^ (nd) charge is held 10 cm above the table?What happens as it lifts off the table? Can the mass be levitated in equilibrium with this 2nd charge? How or why not?

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A charge of -72 mC is needed to lift the mass off the table.

As it lifts off the table, the mass will move up toward the charge holding it.

The mass can be lifted off in equilibrium with the second charge as long as there are no other forces acting on it. This is because electric force is repulsive with an object of the same charge and attractive with an object of opposite charge. This means that when the two charges are of opposite sign they will attract each other and they may be able to find an equilibrium point
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