We know that the negative charge on the electron and the positive charge on the proton are equal. Suppose, however, that these magnitudes differ from each other by 0.00011%. With what force would two copper pennies, placed 1.4 m apart, repel each other? Assume that each coin contains 3 1022 copper atoms. (Hint: A neutral copper atom contains 29 protons and 29 electrons.)(From your answer, it should be obvious that the magnitude of the charge on a proton and the charge on an electron cannot possibly differ by as much as the given percentage.)

Question

We know that the negative charge on the electron and the positive charge on the proton are equal. Suppose, however, that these magnitudes differ from each other by 0.00011%. With what force would two copper pennies, placed 1.4 m apart, repel each other? Assume that each coin contains 3 1022 copper atoms. (Hint: A neutral copper atom contains 29 protons and 29 electrons.)(From your answer, it should be obvious that the magnitude of the charge on a proton and the charge on an electron cannot possibly differ by as much as the given percentage.)

I will be happy to critique your thinking or work on this. The charge on the electron and proton are not equal, they are opposites.

Answer 1 · 2008-01-13 20:53:45

The total positive charge in a neutral copper penny is
Q+ = (3 × 1022 atoms)(29 protons/atom)((1.60 × 10−19 C/proton) = 1.39 × 105 C
and the total negative charge is Q− = −1.39 × 105C. If the positive charge were greater b y
a factor of 5.0 × 10−7 and the negative charge were less by the same factor, the net charge
on the penny would be (1.39 × 105)(1.0 × 10−6) = 0.139 C. Use Coulomb’s law to find the
force of one penny on another, separated by 1.0m.

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