Question

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?(1 point) Responses What is the mass of each object in the interactions? What is the mass of each object in the interactions? 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? How far apart are the objects in each interaction?

Answer 1

To identify the set with the stronger interaction between the charged objects, the student should focus on the factors that influence the electric force between charged objects. Among the options provided, the question that will most directly help in determining the strength of the interaction is:

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

This is because the electric force between two point charges (as described by Coulomb's Law) depends on the distance between them. Specifically, the force increases as the distance decreases. Therefore, knowing the separation distance between the objects will allow the student to assess the strength of their interactions.