Answer :
The forces on two charges of +0.800 C and -5.00 C separated by 5.00 m is calculated using Coulomb's law and is found to be an attractive force of 1.4384 x 10^10 N.
To determine the forces on two charges of +0.800 C and -5.00 C separated by a distance of 5.00 m, we use Coulomb's law, which states that the force between two point charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The electrostatic force (F) is calculated using the formula:
F = k * |q1 * q2| / r^2
Where:
- k is Coulomb's constant (8.988 X 10^9 Nm^2/C^2),
- q1 and q2 are the charges,
- r is the distance between the charges.
Plugging in the given values:
F = (8.988 X 10^9 Nm^2/C^2) * |0.800 C * -5.00 C| / (5.00 m)^2
After calculating, we get:
F = 1.4384 X 10^10 N
The negative sign indicates that the force is attractive because the charges are of opposite signs.