Understanding the Concepts
* Coulomb's Law: This law describes the electrostatic force between two charged objects. It states that the force is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
* Force: The force between the charges can be attractive (opposite charges) or repulsive (like charges).
Formula
The force (F) between two charges (q1 and q2) separated by a distance (r) is given by:
F = (k * q1 * q2) / r²
Where:
* k is Coulomb's constant (9.0 × 10⁹ N⋅m²/C²)
Calculations
1. Identify the values:
* q1 = 5.0 C
* q2 = 7.0 C
* r = 1.2 m
* k = 9.0 × 10⁹ N⋅m²/C²
2. Substitute the values into the formula:
F = (9.0 × 10⁹ N⋅m²/C² * 5.0 C * 7.0 C) / (1.2 m)²
3. Calculate the force:
F ≈ 2.19 × 10¹¹ N
Result
The force of interaction between the two metallic balls is approximately 2.19 × 10¹¹ Newtons. Since the charges are both positive, the force is repulsive.
