Ratio of gravitational/repulsive electrostatic force

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the ratio of the gravitational force to the electrostatic force between two protons. The gravitational force is expressed using Newton's gravitational constant (G) rather than the acceleration due to gravity (g). The relevant equations are Fgravity = G(Mm/r2) and Felectric = k(Qq/r2), where M and m are the masses of the protons, Q and q are their charges, G is 6.67430e-11 N·m2/kg2, and k is 8.9875e9 N·m2/C2. The final solution requires leaving the radius (r) in the equations rather than solving for it.

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  • Familiarity with Coulomb's law for electrostatic forces
  • Knowledge of fundamental constants such as G and k
  • Basic algebra for manipulating equations
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Homework Statement


Calculate the ratio of the magnitude of the attractive gravitational force to the repulsive electrostatic force between two protons.

Homework Equations


Mass of proton = M = m = 1.672e-27 kg
g = 9.80665m/s2
Q = q = 1.60219e−19 C
k = 8.9875e9 N•m2/C2F_{Gravity}=g\frac{Mm}{r^{2}}

F_{electric}=k\frac{Qq}{r^{2}}

The Attempt at a Solution


The radius r is not given, so I attempted to find it algebraically by plugging in numbers, and I get:

F_{gravity}=\frac{2.74m/s^{2}\cdot kg^{2}}{r^{2}}

I feel certain I am on the wrong track.
 
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For Fgravity you should use G, not g. I.e., not 9.8 m/s2
 
Thanks, I changed g to G, but I'm still not sure what to do after solving for r
 
Don't solve for r, just leave it in the form

Fgravity = {your expression here}
Then do the same for Felectric.
 

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