What is Q in kQq/r? (+Ze) Explained

[kenshi64]

What is Q in kQq/r ??

Hey guys the textbook says Q is (+Ze) and q is (+2e) the later is 2 times the positive equivalent of an electron's charge. Though the former I'm unable to make any sense of, what is Ze??

Thanks Cheers!

 

[ZapperZ]

"Z" is a common symbol for "atomic number". It represents the number of protons. So Ze is the total charge of the nucleus.

Considering the series of basic questions you've posted so far, may I suggest that you go to the Hyperphysics website and read through that? It appears that you're reading a textbook, but not understanding where things came from.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hframe.html

Zz.

 

[kenshi64]

Thanks for the help, isn't this forum for everyone by the way? not just PhDs right?

 

[ZapperZ]

Yes, and everyone is not just given fish, but also taught how to fish. You are given a resource that could be a place where you can find answers to other questions.

Zz.

 

[pmacias]

In this equation, Q represents the charge of the particle or object that is exerting the electric force. The letter k represents the Coulomb's constant, and q represents the charge of the particle or object that is experiencing the electric force. The letter r represents the distance between the two objects. The term (+Ze) refers to the charge of a particle with a positive charge, where Z represents the number of protons in the nucleus and e represents the elementary charge, which is the charge of a single proton. Therefore, (+Ze) is the total positive charge of the particle.