The surfaces of a lipid bilayer forming the membrane around a cell with a diameter of 2 µm has a residual charge of 2 × 10^-15 C on the outside of the bilayer, and the same amount of negative charge on the inside. What is the force on a singly charged positive ion located on the outer surface of this membrane?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The force on the ion can be calculated using Coulomb's law. The charge on the ion is the elementary charge (approximately 1.6 × 10^-19 C). The force is given by F = k * |q1 * q2| / r^2, where k is Coulomb's constant (approximately 8.99 × 10^9 N m²/C²), q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the distance between them. Here, q1 = 2 × 10^-15 C, q2 = 1.6 × 10^-19 C, and r is the radius of the cell (1 µm = 1 × 10^-6 m). Plugging in these values gives the force as approximately 3 × 10^-12 N.

The Surfaces of a Lipid Bilayer Forming the Membrane Around