Question

When sugar is poured from the box into the sugar bowl, the rubbing of sugar grains creates a static electric charge that repels the grains, and causes sugar to go flying out in all directions. If each of two sugar grains acquires a charge of 3.0 x 10-11 C at a separation of 8.00 x 10-5 m, with what force will they repel each other ?

Answer 1

You can use Coulomb's Law which says:

`F_s = (Kq_1q_2)/(r^2)`

Plug in given values:

`F_s = ((9*10^9)(3*10^(-11))(3*10^(-11)))/((8*10^-5)^2)`

When you plug that into a calculator, you get:

`F_s = 1.27 * 10^(-3)`

That's your answer.