Question

A student observes interactions between two sets of electrically charged objects. In each set, the objects carry either a charge of –1 or +1 Coulomb. Which question can the student ask to identify the set with the stronger interaction?

options:

How large are the objects in each set?
How large are the objects in each set?

Are the objects both positively charged or both negatively charged?
Are the objects both positively charged or both negatively charged?

What is the mass of each object in the interactions?
What is the mass of each object in the interactions?

How far apart are the objects in each interaction?

Answer 1

To identify the set with the stronger interaction between the two sets of electrically charged objects, the student should consider how the strength of the interaction is influenced by the charges and the distance between the objects.

Among the given options, the most relevant question to determine the strength of the interaction is:

**How far apart are the objects in each interaction?**

The strength of the electrostatic interaction is governed by Coulomb's law, which states that the force (interaction strength) between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Therefore, knowing the distance between the objects can help the student assess how strongly they interact.

The other options (size and mass of the objects, and charge types) do not directly influence the force as defined by Coulomb's law in a way that would allow for clear comparison of interaction strength based solely on those factors.