Two charges have a force of attraction between them. If you double the distance between the charges what happens to the force? The force is reduced to 1/2 of its value. The force is reduced to 1/4 of its value. The force is doubled. The force is four times what it was.

College Physics
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Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
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**Question:**

Two charges have a force of attraction between them. If you double the distance between the charges, what happens to the force?

- The force is reduced to 1/2 of its value.
- The force is reduced to 1/4 of its value.
- The force is doubled.
- The force is four times what it was. (Highlighted)

**Explanation:**

This question revolves around Coulomb's Law, which describes the force of attraction or repulsion between two charged objects. According to this law, the force \( F \) between two charges is inversely proportional to the square of the distance \( r \) between them, expressed as:

\[ F = k \frac{{|q_1 q_2|}}{{r^2}} \]

where \( k \) is Coulomb's constant, and \( q_1 \) and \( q_2 \) are the magnitudes of the charges.

If the distance \( r \) is doubled, the new force \( F' \) is:

\[ F' = k \frac{{|q_1 q_2|}}{{(2r)^2}} = k \frac{{|q_1 q_2|}}{{4r^2}} = \frac{F}{4} \]

Thus, the correct answer is that the force is reduced to 1/4 of its original value. The option "The force is reduced to 1/4 of its value" is correct, not "The force is four times what it was."
Transcribed Image Text:**Question:** Two charges have a force of attraction between them. If you double the distance between the charges, what happens to the force? - The force is reduced to 1/2 of its value. - The force is reduced to 1/4 of its value. - The force is doubled. - The force is four times what it was. (Highlighted) **Explanation:** This question revolves around Coulomb's Law, which describes the force of attraction or repulsion between two charged objects. According to this law, the force \( F \) between two charges is inversely proportional to the square of the distance \( r \) between them, expressed as: \[ F = k \frac{{|q_1 q_2|}}{{r^2}} \] where \( k \) is Coulomb's constant, and \( q_1 \) and \( q_2 \) are the magnitudes of the charges. If the distance \( r \) is doubled, the new force \( F' \) is: \[ F' = k \frac{{|q_1 q_2|}}{{(2r)^2}} = k \frac{{|q_1 q_2|}}{{4r^2}} = \frac{F}{4} \] Thus, the correct answer is that the force is reduced to 1/4 of its original value. The option "The force is reduced to 1/4 of its value" is correct, not "The force is four times what it was."
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