Understanding the Concepts
* Coulomb's Law: The electric force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
* Formula: F = k * (q1 * q2) / r²
* F = electric force (in Newtons, N)
* k = Coulomb's constant (approximately 8.98755 × 10⁹ N⋅m²/C²)
* q1 and q2 = the magnitudes of the charges (in Coulombs, C)
* r = the distance between the charges (in meters, m)
Calculations
1. Identify the given values:
* q1 = 0.0042 C
* q2 = 0.0050 C
* r = 0.0030 m
2. Plug the values into Coulomb's Law formula:
* F = (8.98755 × 10⁹ N⋅m²/C²) * (0.0042 C * 0.0050 C) / (0.0030 m)²
3. Calculate the force:
* F ≈ 2.1 × 10¹⁰ N
Important Note: The charges are not provided with signs (+ or -). If the charges have the same sign (both positive or both negative), the force is repulsive. If the charges have opposite signs, the force is attractive.
Therefore, the electric force acting between the two charges is approximately 2.1 × 10¹⁰ N. You'll need to determine whether the force is attractive or repulsive based on the signs of the charges.
