Physics Technology Update (4th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0-32190-308-0
ISBN 13: 978-0-32190-308-2

Chapter 19 - Electric Charges, Forces, and Fields - Problems and Conceptual Exercises - Page 683: 15

Answer

$\mathrm{C} \lt \mathrm{A}\lt \mathrm{B}$

Work Step by Step

Electric charges exert forces on one another along the line connecting them. Like charges repel, opposite charges attract. The magnitude of the force between two point charges, $q_{1}$ and $q_{2}$, separated by a distance $r$ is $F =k\displaystyle \frac{|q_{1}||q_{2}|}{r^{2}},\qquad (19- 5)$ ------ The other two charges exert forces on the third. Take right to be the + direction. Forces experienced by $A:\displaystyle \qquad F=+k\frac{q^{2}}{d^{2}}+k\frac{q^{2}}{(2d)^{2}}=\frac{5}{4}\frac{kq^{2}}{d^{2}}$ $B:\displaystyle \qquad F=-k\frac{q^{2}}{d^{2}}-k\frac{q^{2}}{d^{2}}=-2\frac{kq^{2}}{d^{2}}$ $C:\displaystyle \qquad F=-k\frac{q^{2}}{(2d)^{2}}+k\frac{q^{2}}{d^{2}}=\frac{3}{4}\frac{kq^{2}}{d^{2}}$ Comparing magnitudes, $\mathrm{C} \lt \mathrm{A}\lt \mathrm{B}$
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