One mole of a substance contains 6.02 × 10²³protons and an equal number of electrons. If the protons could somehow be separated from the electrons and placed in very small, individual containers separated by a million meters, what would be the magnitude of the electrostatic force exerted by one box on the other?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The electrostatic force between two charged objects can be calculated using Coulomb's law:

F = k*q1*q2/r^2

where F is the force, k is Coulomb's constant (9 × 10^9 Nm^2/C^2), q1 and q2 are the charges of the two objects, and r is the distance between them.

In this case, each box contains 6.02 × 10^23 protons, which have a charge of +1.6 × 10^-19 C, and an equal number of electrons, which have a charge of -1.6 × 10^-19 C. The total charge of each box is therefore:

q = (6.02 × 10^23)*(1.6 × 10^-19) = 9.632 C

If the boxes are separated by a distance of 10^6 m, the electrostatic force between them is:

F = (9 × 10^9)*(9.632)^2/(10^6)^2 = 8.408 × 10^17 N

Therefore, the answer is D: 8.4 × 10^17 N.

One Mole of a Substance Contains 6