Calculating point charges and ratio of electrostatic force to weight

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the electrostatic charge and forces acting on honeybees in flight. A honeybee can acquire an electrostatic charge of approximately 93 pC, which corresponds to the transfer of about 5.8 x 10^11 electrons. When two bees, each with this charge, are separated by 12 cm, the magnitude of the electrostatic force between them is calculated to be 5.399 x 10^-9 N. The ratio of this electrostatic force to the weight of a 0.14 g bee is determined to be 3.783 x 10^-7, illustrating the relative strength of electrostatic forces compared to gravitational forces.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electrostatic charge and Coulomb's Law
  • Knowledge of basic physics concepts such as force and weight
  • Familiarity with the inverse square law in physics
  • Ability to perform calculations involving scientific notation
NEXT STEPS
  • Study Coulomb's Law and its applications in electrostatics
  • Learn about the concept of point charges in physics
  • Explore the relationship between electrostatic forces and gravitational forces
  • Investigate the effects of charge transfer in biological systems
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in the principles of electrostatics and their applications in biological contexts.

zooboodoo
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Homework Statement


Measurements show that a honeybee in active flight can acquire an electrostatic charge on the order of 93 pC.

a)How many electrons much be transferred to produce this charge?
Ne = *
b) Supposing two bees, both with this charge, are separated by a distance of 12 cm. What is the magnitude of the electrostatic force between the these two bees? (You may treat the bees as point charges.)
FE= N *
5.399e-9 OKc) What is ratio of this electrostatic force to the weight of 0.14 gm bee?
FE/Fweight =
3.783e-7 NO


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



I got through the first two parts, but in order to calculate the ratio of the electro static force to the weight I simply tried Fe/Fweight, 5.39e-9 / .00014 = 3.856e-13
Is there a specific relationship between the forces that I should know before trying to proceed?
thanks
 
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zooboodoo said:
Is there a specific relationship between the forces that I should know before trying to proceed?
Nope. They are completely different kinds of force (except for the fact that, in freshman physics, they both obey the inverse square law).
 

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