Question

In a thundercloud there may be an electric charge of 43 C near the top and −43 C near the bottom. These charges are separated by approximately 1.7 km. What is the magnitude of the electric force between them? The Coulomb constant is 8.98755 × 109 N · m2 /C 2 . Answer in units of N

Answer 1

`F=5.75\cdot 10^6 N`

Step-by-step explanation:

The magnitude of the electrostatic force between two charged objects is given by Coulomb's law:

`F=k(q_1 q_2)/(r^2)`

where:

`k=8.99755\cdot 10^9 Nm^(-2)C^(-2)` is the Coulomb's constant

`q_1, q_2` are the two charges of the two objects

r is the separation between the two objects

In this problem, the two objects are the two clouds, so we have:

`q_1 = 43 C` (charge of the 1st cloud)

`q_2=-43 C` (charge of the 2nd cloud)

r = 1.7 km = 1700 m (distance between the two clouds)

So the force between them is

`F=(8.98755\cdot 10^9)((43)(-43))/(1700^2)=-5.75\cdot 10^6 N`

So, the magnitude of the force is (neglecting the negative sign which indicates that the force is attractive)

`F=5.75\cdot 10^6 N`