Electric Force Between +2.8 µC & -4.8 µC: Calculate Now

  • Thread starter Thread starter gotpink74
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Charges
AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the electric force between a glass ball with a charge of +2.8 µC and a rubber ball with a charge of -4.8 µC, separated by 4.5 cm. The relevant formula is F = k * Q1 * Q2 / r^2, where k is the electrostatic constant. Participants note that the calculated force of -59.7333 N may be incorrect due to potential rounding issues or the inclusion of the negative sign, as only the magnitude is typically required. It is suggested to round the answer to three significant figures for accuracy. The conversation emphasizes the importance of following the correct calculation steps and conventions in physics problems.
gotpink74
Messages
48
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


What is the electric force between a glass ball that has +2.8 µC of charge and a rubber ball that has -4.8 µC of charge when they are separated by a distance of 4.5 cm?


Homework Equations



F=k*Q1*Q2/r^2

The Attempt at a Solution


-59.6507
-8.8888888.889
4.4380e12
 
Physics news on Phys.org
is K 9*10^9
 
gotpink74 said:
is K 9*10^9

Yes.
 
i got -59.7333 but it is still wrong i do not know what i am doing wrong
 
gotpink74 said:
i got -59.7333 but it is still wrong i do not know what i am doing wrong
Please show your work.
 
(9*10^9)*(2.8*10^(-6))*(-4.8*10^(-6))/0.045^2
 
Are you using UTexas Quest? If so, does it give you a value for k? The rounding difference might make your answer a bit off.
 
Usually they just want the magnitude of the force for this type of question. Try without the minus sign, otherwise it looks good to me. You should probably not go more precise than 3 significant figures too.
 
Back
Top