Coulomb's Law and electric force

[angel_romano]

I can't seem to figure out how to do this problem. I've tried the equation for coulomb's law, but I can't get the right answer. If somebody can just help me with setting the problem up.

Two objects ar rubbed against each other. Object B gains a charge of -5 nano-coulombs. What is the electric force between the two objects when the distance between them is 3.0 cm? Also, how do I convert the nano-coulombs to coulombs?

 

[nrqed]

I can't seem to figure out how to do this problem. I've tried the equation for coulomb's law, but I can't get the right answer. If somebody can just help me with setting the problem up.

Two objects ar rubbed against each other. Object B gains a charge of -5 nano-coulombs. What is the electric force between the two objects when the distance between them is 3.0 cm? Also, how do I convert the nano-coulombs to coulombs?

You multiply by $$10^{-9}$$, ($$1 nc= 10^{-9} C$$).

the question si very ambiguous. *Assuming* that the two objects were initially uncharged and *assuming* that they can be treated as point charges then the answer should be given by Coulomb's law. (what did you use for the two charges? One should be +5 nc and the other -5 nc. Also, did you put the distance in meters?)

Pat

 

[kyle8921]

Coulomb's Law is an important principle in the field of electromagnetism that helps us understand the relationship between electric charges and the force between them. The equation for Coulomb's Law is F = k(q1q2)/r^2, where F is the electric force, k is a constant, q1 and q2 are the charges of the two objects, and r is the distance between them.

To solve this problem, you will need to plug in the values given in the question into the equation. In this case, q1 and q2 are not given, but we can assume that they are equal since both objects are being rubbed against each other. Therefore, we can rewrite the equation as F = k(q^2)/r^2.

Next, we need to convert the charge of -5 nano-coulombs to coulombs. To do this, we need to remember that 1 nano-coulomb (nC) is equal to 1 x 10^-9 coulombs (C). So, -5 nano-coulombs can be written as -5 x 10^-9 C.

Now, we can plug in the values into the equation:

F = (9 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2)(-5 x 10^-9 C)^2/(0.03 m)^2

Solving this equation, we get F = -7.5 x 10^-4 N. The negative sign indicates that the force is attractive, meaning the two objects will be pulled towards each other.

In conclusion, to solve this problem, you will need to use the equation for Coulomb's Law and convert the charge from nano-coulombs to coulombs. Remember to pay attention to units and use the correct values in the equation. I hope this explanation helps you better understand how to approach problems involving Coulomb's Law and electric force.