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)ResponsesAre 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?How far apart are the objects in each interaction?How large are the objects in each set?

Answer 1

To identify which set of electrically charged objects has a stronger interaction, the student should ask:

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

The distance between the charges affects the strength of the interaction due to Coulomb's law, which states that the force between two charged objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Therefore, knowing the distance is crucial for determining interaction strength. The charges themselves (+1 or -1 Coulomb) also matter, but if both sets are known to contain those charges, the distance is the variable that will help identify the set with the stronger interaction.