Why Is My Calculation of Coulomb's Force Incorrect?

[LTZach]

I thought this would be a basic physics problem, but I'm not getting the right answer, here's the problem:

There are two identical small metal spheres with charges 27.5 μC and −19.119 μC. The distance between them is 8 cm. The spheres are placed in contact then set at their original
distance. Calculate the magnitude of the force between the two spheres at the final position. The Coulomb constant is 8.98755 × 109 N · m^2/C2 .
Answer in units of N.

I used the formula, F=K*((q1*q2)/r^2)). I converted the charges using the 10^-6 conversion.

So, F=(8.98755*10^9)*(27.5*10^-6 * 19.119*10^-6) all over 0.08^2 and I got 738.3448 N.

The answer is incorrect according to the online service my class uses, what did I do wrong?

 

[Academic]

Did you take into account that they were temporarily placed in contact?

 

[LTZach]

How would I do that?

 

[Dale]

The spheres are metal and therefore conductive. What happens to the charges when two charged conductive materials come in contact?

 

[sardar]

It seems like you have used the correct formula and converted the charges correctly. However, there may be a small error in your calculation. I would recommend double-checking your calculations and make sure you are using the correct units for the distance (meters instead of centimeters). Also, make sure you are using the correct number of significant figures in your answer. If you are still getting an incorrect answer, it may be helpful to show your work to a classmate or your instructor for further assistance.