What is the Minimum Distance Between Moving Identical Particles in Vacuum?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kostas Tzim
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Movement Particle
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem involving two identical particles with mass and charge moving in a vacuum. The original poster seeks to determine the minimum distance between the particles as they approach each other, given their initial distance and speed.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the use of conservation of energy as a potential approach to solve the problem. Questions arise regarding the initial speeds of the particles, the nature of the energies involved, and the implications of their relative motion at minimum distance.

Discussion Status

The conversation includes attempts to clarify the application of conservation laws and the relationship between kinetic and potential energy. Some participants are exploring the implications of the particles' speeds and the nature of their separation at minimum distance, while others express uncertainty about specific terms and concepts.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of varying educational curricula, which may affect the participants' familiarity with certain concepts. Additionally, the original poster expresses frustration with the complexity of the problem and the need for clearer understanding of the underlying physics.

Kostas Tzim
Messages
94
Reaction score
1

Homework Statement


Two identical particles with $$ m=4,5 mg $$ and $$ q= 30 nC $$ are moving in vacuum in same direction. the paricles facing each other the time of the movement O --> <-- O like this.The time their distance is $$25cm$$

Homework Equations


Which will be the minimum distance between them?
$$ ε0=8,85 10^{-12}C ^2 /Nm^2 $$ , Ignore the gravitational forces

The Attempt at a Solution


Its a problem from the national competition. I would appreciate some help, i thought about using the conservation of energy
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Kostas Tzim said:
Its a problem from the national competition. I would appreciate some help, i thought about using the conservation of energy
Can you show us your attempt using conservation of energy? You might also need another conservation law.

We can't provide additional help until we see your effort.
 
Kostas Tzim said:
i thought about using the conservation of energy
Conservation of energy would be the way to go. Can you put a bit more detail around that?
 
Since we ignore the gravitational field we get (i really don't know the english physics terminology) $$ E_(start)=E_(end) $$ $$ <=> $$ $$ k_c\dfrac{q*q}{r} + 2\dfrac{1}{2}mv^2= ?$$ this is my thought, since we have two particles this is why i put the $$ 2 $$ in front of the starting Kinetic Energy moreover the electrical dynamical energy is given by the above equation. i don't know what to do next, i suppose in the second part of the equation i have to appear the $$ r_min $$ also i don't know what the $$ε_0$$ is given for. This problem is back from 2009 ,maybe the school curriculum had changed back then, you know in greece sadly we have not a standard curriculum the books are changing without a real reason, think that I am nearly 17 years old and i have no clue about the magnetic field all the previous years this topic was In the curricula and for some reason this year it got out, now i have to study it bymyself since i think its really important
 
Were you given values for the initial speeds of the particles, or are you to find a symbolic result?

What quantities will have to go on the right hand side of your equation (where your ? is)?
What can you say about the relative speeds of the particles when they are at minimum distance?
 
Oh nooo,forgive me $$ 4 m/s $$ by the time their distance is $$ 25 $$ cm
 
First of all on the right side i would have the kinetic energy and the potential energy...one of them will be $$0$$ i think it'll be kinetic but i can't prove it...i didnt understand the concept of the problem well, i hope you can understand my translation
 
You should be able to argue that at minimum distance the two particles must stop approaching each other (otherwise they would get closer still). Then the only thing they can do is start to separate again. At the instant of closest approach then, what is their relative speed?

Assume this closest distance is r. What is the electric potential energy at that point?

By the way, if you use "##" rather than "$$" as Latex tags the code will stay embedded in the current text line.
 
Thanks for the tip, then its kind of easy the right side gives us the ## k_c\dfrac{q^2}{r_{minimum} }## i suppose, As you mentioned when the particles reach the ##minimum ## distance then they start separated is this separation violent? or they separate with the initial speeds...theoretically can't they collide? I understand that they distance cannot be equal to ##0## since we agree that even particles have dimensions. Enough of the theoretical talking, i still don't know how to use the ##\epsilon_0##

btw: the preview option crushes...it appers a black hole :P and Thanks for your time..im sorry if I am being annoying with silly questions
 
  • #10
Kostas Tzim said:
Thanks for the tip, then its kind of easy the right side gives us the ## k_c\dfrac{q^2}{r_{minimum} }## i suppose, As you mentioned when the particles reach the ##minimum ## distance then they start separated is this separation violent? or they separate with the initial speeds...theoretically can't they collide? I understand that they distance cannot be equal to ##0## since we agree that even particles have dimensions. Enough of the theoretical talking, i still don't know how to use the ##\epsilon_0##
The separation and approach will look like mirror images (time-wise). No violent changes -- that would involve some sudden energy change that has no source in this system. Since the electrical force grows without bound as the distance approaches zero, the particles cannot touch even if they were theoretical point-particles.

The constant ##k_c## is actually "made from" ##\epsilon_o##: ##~~~~~k_c = \frac{1}{4 \pi \epsilon_o}##

btw: the preview option crushes...it appers a black hole :P and Thanks for your time..im sorry if I am being annoying with silly questions
That might be a problem peculiar to your machine. What browser and Operating System are you running?
 
  • #11
Oh god yeah,! totally forgot it..now its clear..all these problems I am solving are sooo tricky, i mean I am trying hard, complicated thoughts cyrcling my mind and when i fail to solve it and look up to the solution its simple it only needs an observation..maybe these days ill upload more problems..i think they are useful for other students that are here too. Anyway, thanks a lot for the help I am using chrome, windows7 64
 
  • #12
Kostas Tzim said:
chrome, windows7 64
What exactly happens when you select Preview? Does anything appear?
 
  • #13
.
 
  • #15
That's odd. You might want to try clearing your browser's cache and history. I haven't heard of any other reports of this symptom occurring with Chrome or other browsers. If you have another browser on your machine you might want to give it a test.
 
  • #16
actually my clock has stopped that;s cause of the battery i think its over. i have to get another battery..maybe this causes the problem
 
  • #17
Kostas Tzim said:
actually my clock has stopped that;s cause of the battery i think its over. i have to get another battery..maybe this causes the problem
Possibly. Certain cache entries or routes may no be getting flushed or updated on time.
 
  • #18
is it bad for the PC that the battery stays inside?...i haven't bought a new one yet
 
  • #19
Kostas Tzim said:
is it bad for the PC that the battery stays inside?...i haven't bought a new one yet
It's hard to say without knowing what kind of battery and how old it might be.
 
  • #20
well i built this pc 1 year ago same month, the battery is button type CR2032 3V
 
  • #21
Kostas Tzim said:
well i built this pc 1 year ago same month, the battery is button type CR2032 3V
There shouldn't be any problem with that type of battery for several years, if it's physical integrity you're worried about.
 
  • #22
i read that several people have this problem with the same motherboard (Asus Maximus VI hero)..i don't know maybe the batteries from the time were placed were problematic
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
6K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
16K
Replies
34
Views
3K
Replies
1
Views
6K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
Replies
1
Views
5K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
10K