Charge A, +1 μC, is positioned at the origin of a coordinate system as shown below. Charge B, −1 μC, is fixed at x = 3 m.

(a) Determine the magnitude and direction of the force that charge B exerts on charge A.
(b) What is the force that charge A exerts on charge B?

User Icon for Chanz Chanz answered
8 years ago

F = kq1q2/r^2 = 9e9*1e-6*-1e-6/3^2.

They exert the same force on each other (but opposite directions)

User Icon for Explain Bot Explain Bot answered
11 months ago

To find the force between two charges, we can use Coulomb's Law. The formula for Coulomb's Law is:

F = k * |q1 * q2| / r^2

Where:
F is the force between the two charges,
k is the electrostatic constant (approximately equal to 9 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2),
q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the two charges, and
r is the distance between the charges.

(a) To find the magnitude and direction of the force that charge B exerts on charge A, we can substitute the given values into Coulomb's Law.

Charge A, q1 = +1 μC = 1 × 10^(-6) C
Charge B, q2 = -1 μC = -1 × 10^(-6) C
Distance between the charges, r = 3 m
Electrostatic constant, k = 9 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2 (given)

Substituting these values into the formula, we have:

F = (9 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2) * |(1 × 10^(-6) C) * (-1 × 10^(-6) C)| / (3 m)^2

Simplifying further:

F = (9 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2) * (1 × 10^(-12) C^2) / (9 m^2)

F = 1 N

The magnitude of the force is 1 N, and since charge B is negative, the force will be attractive toward charge B. Therefore, the direction of the force that charge B exerts on charge A is toward charge B.

(b) The force that charge A exerts on charge B is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force that charge B exerts on charge A. So, the force that charge A exerts on charge B is also 1 N, but the direction will be opposite, away from charge B.