A charge of 50-μC is placed on the y axis at y = 3.0 cm and a 77-μC charge is placed on the x axis at x = 4.0 cm. If both charges are held fixed, what is the magnitude of the initial acceleration of an electron released from rest at the origin? A) 1.2 × 10²⁰ m/s² B) 1.5 × 10²⁰ m/s² C) 1.0 × 10²⁰ m/s² D) 1.8 × 10²⁰ m/s² E) 2.0 × 10²⁰ m/s²

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is A because the initial acceleration of an electron released from rest at the origin is given by the equation a = (k * e) / m * (1 / r1^2 + 1 / r2^2), where k is Coulomb's constant, e is the charge of an electron, m is the mass of an electron, r1 is the distance from the electron to the first charge, and r2 is the distance from the electron to the second charge. Plugging in the given values, we get a = (9 * 10^9 N m^2 / C^2) * (1.6 * 10^-19 C) / (9.1 * 10^-31 kg) * (1 / (0.03 m)^2 + 1 / (0.04 m)^2) = 1.2 * 10^20 m/s^2.

A Charge of 50-μC Is Placed on the Y Axis