Coulomb's law and different charges

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Coulomb's law can be used to calculate the electrical force between two charges, one positive and one negative. When two charges touch, they can share charge, resulting in both becoming like charges upon separation. In the example provided, two conducting spheres with charges of -2nC and 6.00nC will equalize their charges when contacted. After separation, the spheres will have charges of 2nC each, leading to a repulsive force between them. The magnitude of the electrical force can be calculated using the distance between the spheres and their new charges.
PinkFlamingo
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If you have two charges, one positive and one negative, you can find the electrical force using coulomb's law. What happens to the charges if you touch them together and then separate them again? Do they become like charges, and does the magnitude change?

Thanks

Mandy

:confused:
 
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You really haven't specified a physical situation, so who knows. But neutral objects exert no electric force on each other.

cookiemonster
 
Two small, identical, point-like conducting spheres have charges q1=-2nC and q2=6.00 nC, The two spheres are brought momentarily into contact and then separated by a distance of 3.00 cm. Now what is the magnitude of the electrical force on each? Are the forces now attractive or repulsive?
 

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