Coulomb's law and two spheres

In summary, the problem involves two identical small metal spheres with charges of 27.5 μC and -19.119 μC, placed at a distance of 8 cm and then brought into contact before being set back to their original distance. The task is to calculate the magnitude of the force between the two spheres at the final position, using the Coulomb constant of 8.98755 × 10^9 N·m^2/C^2. The formula used is F=K*((q1*q2)/r^2)), with the charges converted to units of Coulombs. However, the calculated answer of 738.3448 N does not match the expected result, possibly due to not accounting for the temporary contact
  • #1
LTZach
4
0
I thought this would be a basic physics problem, but I'm not getting the right answer, here's the problem:

There are two identical small metal spheres with charges 27.5 μC and −19.119 μC. The distance between them is 8 cm. The spheres are placed in contact then set at their original
distance. Calculate the magnitude of the force between the two spheres at the final position. The Coulomb constant is 8.98755 × 109 N · m^2/C2 .
Answer in units of N.

I used the formula, F=K*((q1*q2)/r^2)). I converted the charges using the 10^-6 conversion.

So, F=(8.98755*10^9)*(27.5*10^-6 * 19.119*10^-6) all over 0.08^2 and I got 738.3448 N.

The answer is incorrect according to the online service my class uses, what did I do wrong?
 
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  • #2
Did you take into account that they were temporarily placed in contact?
 
  • #3
How would I do that?
 
  • #4
The spheres are metal and therefore conductive. What happens to the charges when two charged conductive materials come in contact?
 
  • #5


It seems like you have used the correct formula and converted the charges correctly. However, there may be a small error in your calculation. I would recommend double-checking your calculations and make sure you are using the correct units for the distance (meters instead of centimeters). Also, make sure you are using the correct number of significant figures in your answer. If you are still getting an incorrect answer, it may be helpful to show your work to a classmate or your instructor for further assistance.
 

1. What is Coulomb's law and how does it relate to two spheres?

Coulomb's law is a fundamental law in physics that describes the relationship between the electrical force between two charged particles and the distance between them. When applied to two spheres, it can determine the force of attraction or repulsion between the two charged spheres.

2. How is Coulomb's law calculated for two spheres?

Coulomb's law for two spheres is calculated by using the equation F = k(q1q2)/r^2, where F is the force of attraction or repulsion, k is the Coulomb's constant, q1 and q2 are the charges of the two spheres, and r is the distance between them.

3. What is the significance of the Coulomb's constant in Coulomb's law?

The Coulomb's constant, denoted by k, is a proportionality constant that relates the force of attraction or repulsion between two charged particles to their charges and the distance between them. It has a value of 8.99 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2 and is essential in determining the strength of the electrical force between two charged spheres.

4. Can Coulomb's law be used to calculate the force between two spheres with non-uniform charge distributions?

Yes, Coulomb's law can be used to calculate the force between two spheres with non-uniform charge distributions. However, the calculation can become more complex as the charges may need to be broken down into smaller components and the distance between them may vary at different points.

5. How does the force between two spheres change if the magnitude of the charges or the distance between them is increased or decreased?

The force between two spheres is directly proportional to the magnitude of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that if the magnitude of the charges is increased, the force will also increase. Similarly, if the distance between the spheres is decreased, the force will increase. Conversely, if the magnitude of the charges is decreased or the distance between the spheres is increased, the force will decrease.

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