A +3 μC charge and a -1.6 μC charge are placed 18 cm apart. Calculate the electrostatic force acting on the charges.

Answer 1

To solve this problem, its important to understand the concept of electrostatic force between two charged particles. Two particles with the same charge repel each other while those with opposite charges are attracted to each other (think opposites attract), and the force that causes these particles to accelerate is the electrostatic force (which we can call F).

The formula for electrostatic force between two charged particles is F = k x q1 x q2 / r^2, where q1 and q2 are the charges of the particles (coulombs C), r is the distance between the particles (meters m), and k is coulombs constant, equal to 9 x 10^9 N m^2/C^2. Note that when solving for F, the units cancel out such that we are left with a final answer of force in Newtons (N), ensuring that our formula is correct.

See if you can use this formula to solve for the force, and make sure to convert your values for charge and distance to the appropriate units as indicated above.