How Far Must Protons Be to Equate Electrostatic and Gravitational Forces?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tony11235
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Protons
AI Thread Summary
To determine the distance at which the electrostatic force between two protons equals the gravitational force on a proton at Earth's surface, one must consider both forces' magnitudes. The gravitational force acting on a proton is very small, and the charge of the proton, equal in magnitude to that of an electron but positive, is crucial for calculations. The discussion highlights the need for knowing the charge to solve for the distance, as it introduces one variable in the equation. The relationship between these forces reveals the vast difference in strength, necessitating a significant distance for equality. Understanding these fundamental forces is essential for accurate calculations in physics.
Tony11235
Messages
254
Reaction score
0
The question is how far apart must two protons be for the magnitude of the electrostatic force acting on either one of them to be equal to the force acting on a proton at Earth's surface due to gravity?

I calculated the force acting on a proton at the Earth's surface, very small of course, but in order to find the distance between the two protons shouldn't I know the charge of the protons inorder to have one unknown left, the distance?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The charge on the proton is the same magnitude as the charge on an electron. (The proton's charge is positive, of course.) Look it up!
 
STUPID! :eek:
 

Thread 'Errors and significant figures'

I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
View full post »
Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'

Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
View full post »

Similar threads

Gravity's Pull: How Far is the Proton Above the Electron?
Replies
2
Views
1K
How does a simple circuit work?
Replies
12
Views
1K
Please help with this suggested solution involving electrostatic press
Replies
14
Views
1K
Electrostatics and nuclear force problem
Replies
7
Views
3K
Work to move electron/proton between the plates of a charged capacitor?
Replies
22
Views
4K
What is the mass of the Galaxy's core?
Replies
10
Views
1K
Electric Field Force Exerted Vertically
Replies
9
Views
8K
Where is the Force on a Proton 0.79FR Relative to the Surface of a Charged Ball?
Replies
4
Views
6K
Figuring out how to approach an electrostatics questioni
Replies
4
Views
1K
N??Solving Electrostatic Fields Problems
Replies
17
Views
4K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top