What would happen to the electrostatics force between a pair of charged particles if both charges were doubled and the distance between them were also doubled?
Correct answer: C. It would remain unchanged
- A. It would decrease by a factor of 4
- B. It would decrease by a factor of 2
- C. It would remain unchanged
- D. It would increase by a factor of 2
Explanation
The force F ∝ (q₁q₂)/r². The new force F' will have a factor of (2×2)=4 in the numerator and a factor of (2)²=4 in the denominator. The factors of 4 cancel, so the force remains unchanged.
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Electrostatics describes forces between charges through Coulomb's law, electric fields and field intensity, then uses electric potential to measure energy per unit charge. Capacitors store charge and electrical energy, with capacitance depending on geometry and dielectric material, not simply on the amount of charge present.
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