Electric charges and conservation of energy

In summary, two charged particles with masses of 3 grams and 6 grams connected by a .04m string exert electric forces of 50.56N on each other. The tension in the string is calculated to be 50.56N. The total energy of the system is 2.022J. The equation for conservation of energy is used to find the final velocities, but it is unclear how to do so. The use of conservation of momentum may be necessary to find the velocities.
  • #1
vex390
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Homework Statement



Two charged particles connected by a string exert electric forces on one another. One has a mass of 3 grams and the other 6 grams. The string is .04m. The force is calculated to be 50.56N. What is the tension in the string? What is the total energy of the system?

Homework Equations


Newton's laws.
Conservation of Energy.


The Attempt at a Solution



The sum force on each particle is 50.56N, making the tension out to be T = 50.56N.

I calculated the potential energy to be U = 2.022J from earlier in the problem.

The part that I'm stuck on is getting the final velocities.

U(i) - U(f) = k(f) - k(i)

2.022 = k(f)

So I set up the equation as:
2.022 = (1/2)(.003)(v[itex]_{}1[/itex]^2) + (1/2)(.006)(v[itex]_{}2[/itex]^2)

is that right? How would I find 2 different velocities from that? Or are the velocities different?
 
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  • #2
Should I use conservation of momentum to find the velocities?
 

Related to Electric charges and conservation of energy

1. What is an electric charge?

An electric charge is a fundamental property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electric field. There are two types of electric charge: positive and negative.

2. How is electric charge conserved?

Electric charge is conserved, which means that it cannot be created or destroyed. This means that the total amount of positive charge in a system must equal the total amount of negative charge.

3. What is the relationship between electric charges and energy?

Electric charges have the ability to store energy, which is known as electric potential energy. This energy can be released and converted into other forms, such as heat or light, when the charges are allowed to move. The conservation of energy principle applies to electric charges, meaning that energy cannot be created or destroyed.

4. How does the movement of electric charges affect energy conservation?

When electric charges move, they create an electric current, which is the flow of electric charges. This movement of charges can be harnessed to do work and transfer energy. However, the total amount of energy in a closed system remains constant, meaning that the energy used by the moving charges must come from another source.

5. How is the conservation of energy applied in everyday life with regards to electric charges?

The conservation of energy principle is applied in many everyday devices that use electric charges. For example, in a battery-powered device, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy, which is then converted into other forms of energy such as light or sound. The total amount of energy remains constant throughout this process.

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