Final answer:
Approximately 4.056 x 10^13 electrons must be transferred from the first object to the second to equalize their charges, as calculated by dividing the charge difference by the charge per electron.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out how many electrons must be transferred from the first object to the second to make both objects have the same charge, we first need to determine the charge difference between the two objects. The first object has a charge of -8.5 µC, and the second one has a charge of -2.0 µC. The difference in charge is 8.5 µC - 2.0 µC = 6.5 µC. Since both objects are negatively charged, transferring electrons from the first to the second object will decrease the charge on the first and increase the charge on the second.
The charge of a single electron is approximately -1.602 x 10-19 coulombs. To find the number of electrons that correspond to a charge of 6.5 µC, we use the formula:
Number of electrons = Total charge / Charge per electron
Number of electrons = 6.5 µC / 1.602 x 10-19 C/electron
Since 1 µC = 1 x 10-6 C, we then have:
Number of electrons = 6.5 x 10-6 C / 1.602 x 10-19 C/electron
Which gives us:
Number of electrons = 4.056 x 1013 electrons
Therefore, 4.056 x 1013 electrons must be transferred from the first to the second object for the objects to have the same charge.