Force of Attraction between two ions?

[Saladsamurai]

Homework Statement

Calculate the force of attraction between Ca²⁺ and O^2- ions whose centers are separated by 1.25 nm.

The Attempt at a Solution

Well, I believe this is a matter of electrostatic force (Coulomb's Law)...but I am not sure what to use for the values of q₁ and q₂
Is it just the elementary charge multiplied by 2 for each ion (since they both have a net charge of 2)?

Is this the right idea?

 

[Borek]

Yes.

 

[Blueshift5]

Yes, you are on the right track. The force of attraction between two ions can be calculated using Coulomb's Law, which states that 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 their centers.

In this case, the charges of the Ca2+ and O2- ions would be represented as q1 and q2, respectively. As you mentioned, the elementary charge can be used as a reference point for these values. Since both ions have a net charge of 2, the values of q1 and q2 would be 2e and -2e, respectively.

Using this information, you can plug in the values into the formula for Coulomb's Law: F = k(q1q2)/d^2, where k is the Coulomb's constant (8.99 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2) and d is the distance between the ions (1.25 nm).

After plugging in the values, you can solve for the force of attraction between the two ions. Keep in mind that the force will be attractive since the ions have opposite charges.

I hope this helps!