Coulomb's Law and acceleration

In summary, to make two small spheres accelerate at 25.0g when released and disregarding all other forces, you would need to add 1.55x10^14 electrons to each sphere. This is found by using the equation F= (kq1q2)/r^2 and setting the force equal to the given acceleration, then solving for the unknown charge of one sphere and converting it to the number of electrons by dividing by the charge of one electron.
  • #1
joseph5640
1
0

Homework Statement



Two very small 8.55-g spheres, 15.0 cm apart from centre to centre, are charged by adding equal numbers of electrons to each of them. Disregarding all other forces, how many electrons would you have to add to each sphere so that the two spheres will accelerate at 25.0g when released?

Homework Equations



F= abs( (kq1q2)/r^2)

The Attempt at a Solution



25(9.81)=245

(245)(0.15)^2 = (9.00x10^9)(x^2)
(5.51 / 9.00x10^9) = x^2
2.47x10^-5 C = x = charge of one sphere

(2.47x10^-5) / (1.6x10^-19) = 1.55x10^14 electrons in one sphere

The answer's wrong :(
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
You've used acceleration ("245") where you need force. What force is required to produce the acceleration 245 m/s2?
 

1. What is Coulomb's Law and how does it relate to acceleration?

Coulomb's Law is a fundamental law of physics that describes the electrostatic force between two charged particles. The force between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This force can cause acceleration of the charged particles, as acceleration is directly proportional to the force acting on an object.

2. How does Coulomb's Law affect the acceleration of charged particles?

Coulomb's Law states that the force between two charged particles is directly proportional to their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that if the charges of the particles increase, the force between them increases, leading to a greater acceleration. Similarly, if the distance between the particles decreases, the force between them increases, resulting in a greater acceleration.

3. Can Coulomb's Law be used to calculate the acceleration of a charged particle?

Yes, Coulomb's Law can be used to calculate the acceleration of a charged particle. By knowing the charges of the particles and the distance between them, the force between them can be calculated using Coulomb's Law. This force can then be used in Newton's Second Law of Motion (F=ma) to calculate the acceleration of the charged particle.

4. How is Coulomb's Law related to Newton's Second Law of Motion?

Coulomb's Law and Newton's Second Law of Motion are related in that both laws involve the concept of force and acceleration. Coulomb's Law describes the force between two charged particles, while Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the net force acting on it. This means that the acceleration of a charged particle can be calculated using the force calculated from Coulomb's Law.

5. Can Coulomb's Law only be applied to point charges?

No, Coulomb's Law can be applied to any charged object, not just point charges. However, for objects with non-uniform charge distributions, the calculation of the force may become more complex. In these cases, the object can be broken down into smaller point charges and the forces between each pair can be calculated using Coulomb's Law, and then summed to find the total force and resulting acceleration.

Similar threads

Question regarding Coulomb's Law
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
1K
Find the electric field on the surface of a sphere using Coulomb's law
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
1K
Dependence of Coulomb's law on the medium
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
2K
Optimal Placement for Net Zero Electrical Force in a System of Charged Spheres
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
2K
How Many Electrons Are Needed to Accelerate Two Charged Spheres at 25g?
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
Coulombs's law problem, asked to find an unknown charge.
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
2K
Problem involving Coulomb's law
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
1K
What is the net force on the -1nC charge in this Coulomb's Law problem?
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
Calculating Charge and Force Using Coulomb's Law and Trigonometry
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
7K
Van der Graaf Generator: Charge, Potential and Redesign Questions
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
1K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top