Question

Use these two constants for the question that follows:

e = 1.6 × 10^−19 C
k = 8.99 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2

A positive charge and a negative charge are 10^−15 m away from each other. Using Coulomb's law, which of the following is the electrical force between these two particles?
230 N
−230 N
120 N
−120 N

Answer 1

Answer: -230 N

Step-by-step explanation:

The electrical force between two point charges q1 and q2 separated by a distance r is given by Coulomb's law:

F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2

where k is the Coulomb constant, q1 and q2 are the magnitudes of the charges, and r is the distance between them.

In this case, we have a positive charge and a negative charge, which means that q1 and q2 have opposite signs. Let's assume that the positive charge has a magnitude of q and the negative charge has a magnitude of -q. Then, the electrical force between them can be calculated as:

F = k * (q * (-q)) / r^2 = -k * q^2 / r^2

Substituting the given values of e and k, we get:

F = - (8.99 × 10^9 N m^2/C^2) * (1.6 × 10^-19 C)^2 / (10^-15 m)^2 ≈ -230 N

Note that the negative sign indicates that the force is attractive, which is expected for opposite charges. Therefore, the correct answer is:

-230 N.