The discussion focuses on calculating the position of a second proton such that the electrostatic force it exerts on a first proton balances the gravitational force acting on the first proton. The relevant equation is derived from Coulomb's law, F = (k×Abs[q1]×Abs[q2]) / r^2, where k = 8.99×10^9 Nm^2/C^2. The correct solution for the distance r, where the electrostatic force equals the weight of the proton, is found to be r = 0.118471 meters. The initial incorrect attempts were due to miscalculating the gravitational force and misunderstanding the equation setup.
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tjrana0 said:The first attempt, I got 1.51911E-14 which was incorrect.
It says "Did you use the Coulomb equation to get the electrostatic force? Do you recall how to calculate the gravitational force on an object (the weight) near Earth's surface?"
I did do all of the above, but with no success.
proton = 1.602176 10^-19;
Solve[1 == (k proton^2)/r^2, r]
{{r -> -1.51911*10^-14}, {r -> 1.51911*10^-14}}
This was the answer that was incorrect.
I thought that the left side of the equation was 1, for some reason, I'm not sure. If it is 0, then the equation is unsolvable. What did I do wrong?