Question

A positive and a negative charge are released from rest in vacuum. They move toward each other. As they do, what happens to their motion?

1) They continue to move toward each other
2) They stop moving
3) They move away from each other
4) Their motion cannot be determined

Answer 1

A positive and a negative charge in a vacuum will continue to move toward each other due to the attractive force between opposite charges.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a positive and a negative charge are released from rest in vacuum, they will experience an attractive force towards each other due to their opposite charges. According to Coulomb's law, unlike charges attract, and the force between them decreases with the square of the distance. As they move toward each other, the movement will accelerate because the attractive force increases as the distance between them decreases. Therefore, the correct answer is (1) They continue to move toward each other until they possibly collide or reach a position where other forces might come into play.