The diagram shows two pairs of highly charged plastic cubes. Cubes 1 and 2 attract each and cubes 1 and 3 repel each other. Which of the following illustrates the forces of cube 2 on 3 and cube 3 on 2?

Question

The diagram shows two pairs of highly charged plastic cubes. Cubes 1 and 2 attract each and cubes 1 and 3 repel each other.  Which of the following illustrates the forces of cube 2 on 3 and cube 3 on 2?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since cube 1 is attracting cube 2 and repelling cube 3, cube 1 must have opposite charges to those of cube 2 and cube 3. Therefore, cube 2 and cube 3 must have the same type of charge, repelling each other. This can be seen in diagram III, where the arrows represent the force acting on each cube due to the other.

The Diagram Shows Two Pairs of Highly Charged Plastic Cubes