Question

Two charged balloons 2.1 * 10ȹ meters apart have a repulsive force of 1.3 * 10ȹ newtons. The charge on one balloon is
8.2 * 10È¥ coulombs. What is the charge on the other balloon?
(k = 9.0 * 10© newton·metersÆ/coulombÆ)

Answer 1

The quantitative expression for the effect of these three variables on electric force is known as Coulomb's law. Coulomb's law states that the electrical force between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of the quantity of charge on the objects and inversely proportional to the square of the separation distance between the two objects. In equation form, Coulomb's law can be stated as

F= k Q1 Q2 / d^2

where Q1 represents the quantity of charge on object 1 (in Coulombs), Q2 represents the quantity of charge on object 2 (in Coulombs), and d represents the distance of separation between the two objects (in meters). The symbol k is a proportionality constant known as the Coulomb's law constant. The value of this constant is dependent upon the medium that the charged objects are immersed in. In the case of air, the value is approximately 9.0 x 109 N • m2 / C2.