Help calculating charge of Cl- and K+ ions

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To calculate the electric force between K+ and Cl- ions using Coulomb's Law, it's essential to know their charges. K+ has a charge of +1e, and Cl- has a charge of -1e, where e equals approximately 1.6 x 10^-19 coulombs. The user expressed confusion about the calculations but received clarification on the charges. The discussion highlights the simplicity of determining ionic charges and the application of Coulomb's Law. Overall, the interaction emphasizes the importance of understanding basic concepts in electrostatics.
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Sorry if this is a ridiculously simple problem, but I don't get it. The professor didn't give examples of how to do this and it's been years since I've taken science courses. I have to determine the electric force (Coulomb's Law) on the K+ ion due to the Cl- ion 9E-10m away. How do you determine the charge of the K+ and Cl- ions? K(19) has atomic mass 39.0983 and Cl(17) has atomic mass 35.4527... but I don't know where to start with calculations. Please help? Thank you.
 
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runran said:
Sorry if this is a ridiculously simple problem, but I don't get it. The professor didn't give examples of how to do this and it's been years since I've taken science courses. I have to determine the electric force (Coulomb's Law) on the K+ ion due to the Cl- ion 9E-10m away. How do you determine the charge of the K+ and Cl- ions? K(19) has atomic mass 39.0983 and Cl(17) has atomic mass 35.4527... but I don't know where to start with calculations. Please help? Thank you.

K+ indicates a charge of +1e; Cl- indicates a charge of -1e, where e is the charge of an electron in coulombs. Therefore, the charge on the K+ in coulombs is 1 \times (1.6x10-19). Do you follow?

~H
 
O.

I guess I was making it harder than it needed to be. Sorry, that was stupid now. Thank you : )
 
runran said:
O.

I guess I was making it harder than it needed to be. Sorry, that was stupid now. Thank you : )

No problem :smile:

~H
 

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