An asteroid of mass 58,000 kg carrying a negative charge of 15.0 μC is 180 m from a second asteroid of mass 52,000 kg carrying a negative charge of 11.0 μC .What is the net force the asteroids exert upon each other? (G = 6.673 × 10^-11 N·m²/kg² and k = 9.0 × 10⁹ N·m²/C². )

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The gravitational force is attractive and calculated using Newton's law of universal gravitation, while the electrostatic force is repulsive (since both charges are negative) and calculated using Coulomb's law. The gravitational force is much smaller than the electrostatic force, resulting in a net force close to zero.

An Asteroid of Mass 58,000 Kg Carrying a Negative Charge