How to determine the magnitude of the electric force

AI Thread Summary
To determine the magnitude of the electric force exerted by tape on a piece of paper, Coulomb's Law is applied, which states that the force is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The gravitational force acting on the paper, which is 0.001666 N, must be overcome by the electric force for the paper to lift. The discussion highlights the need to identify the charges on the tape and paper, but the chemical composition of the tape is unknown, complicating the calculation. Participants clarify that the force required to lift the paper is an electrical force, distinct from gravitational force. Ultimately, the units for the electric force are confirmed to be in Newtons.
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Homework Statement


A piece of tape is pulled from a spool and lowered toward a 170-mg scrap of paper. Only when the tape comes within 8.0 mm is the electric force magnitude great enough to overcome the gravitational force exerted by Earth on the scrap and lift it.

Determine the magnitude and direction of the electric force exerted by the tape on the paper at this distance

Homework Equations


Coulomb's Law:
Force (electric)= k(Q1*Q2)/(r^2)

The Attempt at a Solution


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I was not sure how to approach this problem.
But I converted 170mg=.17g and 8mm=.008m

The force is attractive, directed upward

Since k is 9*10^(9) N*(m^2)/(C^2)
and we know that the distance between the tape and the paper is .008m
I assume that we need to find the charges of the tape and the paper.

I know an electron charge is -1.602*10^(19) C

I thought that needed to see how many electrons there are in the .17g of tape. But I do not know the chemical makeup of the tape or the paper. So I don't know how many electrons there are. In other words, I am not sure how to find the charges Q1 and Q2
 
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Welcome to PF!

Suppose a calculator of mass 100 g rests on a table top. How much force would be required to lift the calculator off the table?
 
100g= .1kg
(.1kg)(9.8m/s^2)= .98N?
 
TSny said:
Welcome to PF!

Suppose a calculator of mass 100 g rests on a table top. How much force would be required to lift the calculator off the table?
.98N
100g=.1kg
.1kg*9.8m/s^2=.98N
 
hotram said:
100g= .1kg
(.1kg)(9.8m/s^2)= .98N?
Yes. Can you apply the same idea to your question about the electrical force of the tape?
 
TSny said:
Yes. Can you apply the same idea to your question about the electrical force of the tape?
I am not quite sure. The calculator scenario is F=ma.
The tape and paper scenario is an electrical scenario.
I am just not quite sure where the example is getting at.
I know that F(mag. of E.field)= q*E
But I am unsure of how to put these pieces together
 
hotram said:
The tape and paper scenario is an electrical scenario.
The calculator had a mass of 100gm.
The paper has a mass of 170mg. How much force is required to pull the paper up? Which force is pulling the paper up?
 
hotram said:
I am not quite sure. The calculator scenario is F=ma.
The tape and paper scenario is an electrical scenario.
I am just not quite sure where the example is getting at

Note that TSny asked you to calculate the magnitude of the force required to lift the calculator. He didn't specify what the source of that force was. Does the source of the force (eg crane, hand, rocket, magnetic, electrostatic) make a difference to the magnitude and direction?
 
TSny said:
Yes. Can you apply the same idea to your question about the electrical force of the tape?
Thank you
F(elec.)=.001666
 
  • #10
hotram said:
Thank you
F(elec.)=.001666
Good. All you need to do is add the units and the direction of the force.
 
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  • #11
TSny said:
Good. All you need to do is add the units and the direction of the force.
[/Q
Would the units be Newtons or Coulombs ?
 
  • #12
Cruise Ten said:
Would the units be Newtons or Coulombs ?
Which of these corresponds to a unit for force?
 
  • #13
TSny said:
Which of these corresponds to a unit for force?
haha, thanks!
 
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