Electricity: Static Electricity

Static Electricity: Audio Guided Solution

Problem 5:

Let's just suppose that Tyrone transferred a Coulomb of negative charge to Mia so that Tyrone had a +1.0 C charge and Mia had a -1.0 C charge. Determine the force of electrical attraction between Tyrone and Mia if they are positioned …
a. … in their seats with a separation distance of 1.0 m.
b. … in South's physics classroom and at Navy Pier 52 km away.
c. … in South's physics classroom and Disney World in Orlando, Florida 1900 km away.

Audio Guided Solution

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Habits of an Effective Problem Solver

  • Read the problem carefully and develop a mental picture of the physical situation. If necessary, sketch a simple diagram of the physical situation to help you visualize it.
  • Identify the known and unknown quantities; record them in an organized manner. A diagram is a great place to record such information. Equate given values to the symbols used to represent the corresponding quantity - e.g., Q1 = 2.4 μC; Q2 = 3.8 μC; d = 1.8 m; Felect = ???.
  • Use physics formulas and conceptual reasoning to plot a strategy for solving for the unknown quantity.
  • Identify the appropriate formula(s) to use.
  • Perform substitutions and algebraic manipulations in order to solve for the unknown quantity.

Read About It!

Get more information on the topic of Static Electricity at The Physics Classroom Tutorial.

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