Final answer:
To calculate the force between two charges, we can use Coulomb's Law. The formula for calculating the force is F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2, where F is the force, k is the electrostatic constant, q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the distance between the charges. Plugging in the given values, we find that the force between charges of 5.0 x 10^-8 C and 1.0 x 10^-7 C, 5.0 cm apart, is 1.8 x 10^-3 N.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the force between two charges, we can use Coulomb's Law, which states that the force 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 is:
F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2
Where F is the force, k is the electrostatic constant (9 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2), q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the distance between the charges.
Using the given values:
F = (9 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2) * ((5.0 x 10^-8 C) * (1.0 x 10^-7 C)) / (0.05 m)^2
F = 9 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2 * (5.0 x 10^-8 C) * (1.0 x 10^-7 C) / (0.05 m)^2
F = 9 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2 * (5.0 x 1.0 x 10^-15) / (0.05^2 m^2)
F = 9 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2 * 0.5 x 10^-15 / 0.0025 m^2
F = 9 x 0.5 x 10^-6 / 0.0025 N
F = 4.5 x 10^-6 / 0.0025 N
F = 1.8 x 10^-3 N