To identify the set with the stronger interaction between two charged objects, the student should consider the factors influencing the force of interaction as defined by Coulomb's Law. Coulomb's Law states that the force \( F \) between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them:
\[ F = k \frac{|q_1 \cdot q_2|}{r^2} \]
Where:
- \( F \) is the magnitude of the force between the charges,
- \( k \) is Coulomb's constant,
- \( q_1 \) and \( q_2 \) are the magnitudes of the charges,
- \( r \) is the distance between the charges.
From this law, the student can derive that the interaction strength will be determined by the magnitudes of the charges and the distance between them.
Considering the options given:
- How large are the objects in each set? - This does not affect the electric interaction directly.
- How far apart are the objects in each interaction? - This is crucial because a greater distance weakens the interaction (force decreases with the square of the distance).
- Are the objects both positively charged or both negatively charged? - This can help determine if the charge interaction is attractive or repulsive, but it does not directly inform about the strength of the interaction compared to the other set.
- What is the mass of each object in the interactions? - The mass does not affect the electric charge interactions.
The best question to ask in order to understand which set has the stronger interaction would be:
2. How far apart are the objects in each interaction?
This information is most directly related to Coulomb's Law and will help in determining the strength of the interactions in each scenario.