Calculating the Electrical Force

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 5 views

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the concept of electrical force between two charged pellets. We will calculate the electrical force between two pellets, each with a charge of 1 microcoulomb, located 3 cm apart. We will also discuss the mass of an object that experiences the same force.

Electrical Force Formula

The electrical force between two charged objects can be calculated using Coulomb's Law, which states that the force between two charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The formula for Coulomb's Law is:

F = \frac{k \cdot q_1 \cdot q_2}{r^2}

where:

$F$ is the electrical force between the two charges
$k$ is Coulomb's constant, which is approximately $9 \times 10^9 \, \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{C}^2$
$q_1$ and $q_2$ are the charges of the two objects
$r$ is the distance between the two objects

Calculating the Electrical Force

We are given that the two pellets have a charge of 1 microcoulomb each, which is $10^{-6} \, \text{C}$ . The distance between the two pellets is 3 cm, which is $0.03 \, \text{m}$ . We can now plug these values into the formula for Coulomb's Law to calculate the electrical force between the two pellets:

F = \frac{k \cdot q_1 \cdot q_2}{r^2}

F = \frac{(9 \times 10^9 \, \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{C}^2) \cdot (10^{-6} \, \text{C}) \cdot (10^{-6} \, \text{C})}{(0.03 \, \text{m})^2}

F = \frac{(9 \times 10^9 \, \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{C}^2) \cdot (10^{-12} \, \text{C}^2)}{(0.0009 \, \text{m}^2)}

F = \frac{9 \times 10^{-3} \, \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2}{0.0009 \, \text{m}^2}

F = 10 \, \text{N}

Mass of an Object Experiencing the Same Force

Now that we have calculated the electrical force between the two pellets, we can calculate the mass of an object that experiences the same force. We can use the formula for force, which is:

F = m \cdot a

where:

$F$ is the force applied to the object
$m$ is the mass of the object
$a$ is the acceleration of the object

We can rearrange this formula to solve for the mass of the object:

m = \frac{F}{a}

We are given that the force is 10 N, and we can assume that the acceleration is 1 m/s^2 (which is the acceleration due to gravity on Earth). We can now plug these values into the formula to calculate the mass of the object:

m = \frac{F}{a}

m = \frac{10 \, \text{N}}{1 \, \text{m/s}^2}

m = 10 \, \text{kg}

Conclusion

In this article, we calculated the electrical force between two charged pellets, each with a charge of 1 microcoulomb, located 3 cm apart. We used Coulomb's Law to calculate the force, and we found that it is 10 N. We also calculated the mass of an object that experiences the same force, and we found that it is 10 kg.

References

Coulomb, C. A. (1785). "Theorie des Électricités et du Magnétisme". Paris: Imprimerie Royale.
Halliday, D., Resnick, R., & Walker, J. (2013). Fundamentals of Physics (10th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored the concept of electrical force between two charged pellets. We calculated the electrical force between two pellets, each with a charge of 1 microcoulomb, located 3 cm apart. We also discussed the mass of an object that experiences the same force. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions related to electrical force between two charged pellets.

Q: What is Coulomb's Law?

A: Coulomb's Law is a fundamental principle in physics that describes the force between two charged objects. It states that the force between two charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Q: What is the formula for Coulomb's Law?

A: The formula for Coulomb's Law is:

F = \frac{k \cdot q_1 \cdot q_2}{r^2}

where:

$F$ is the electrical force between the two charges
$k$ is Coulomb's constant, which is approximately $9 \times 10^9 \, \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{C}^2$
$q_1$ and $q_2$ are the charges of the two objects
$r$ is the distance between the two objects

Q: What is the unit of electrical force?

A: The unit of electrical force is the newton (N).

Q: What is the unit of charge?

A: The unit of charge is the coulomb (C).

Q: What is the unit of distance?

A: The unit of distance is the meter (m).

Q: What is the value of Coulomb's constant?

A: The value of Coulomb's constant is approximately $9 \times 10^9 \, \text{N} \cdot \text{m}^2/\text{C}^2$ .

Q: What is the relationship between electrical force and distance?

A: The electrical force between two charged objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

Q: What is the relationship between electrical force and charge?

A: The electrical force between two charged objects is proportional to the product of the charges.

Q: Can electrical force be negative?

A: Yes, electrical force can be negative. This occurs when the charges have opposite signs.

Q: Can electrical force be zero?

A: Yes, electrical force can be zero. This occurs when the charges are equal and opposite, or when the distance between the charges is infinite.

Conclusion

In this article, we answered some frequently asked questions related to electrical force between two charged pellets. We hope that this article has provided a better understanding of the concept of electrical force and its relationship to distance and charge.

References

Coulomb, C. A. (1785). "Theorie des Électricités et du Magnétisme". Paris: Imprimerie Royale.
Halliday, D., Resnick, R., & Walker, J. (2013). Fundamentals of Physics (10th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.