Select as many of the following statements that are TRUE when comparing Coulomb's Law to Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation. *
Both Laws are about the relationship between two masses.
Both Laws are "inverse square" relationships.
Each Law relates a force to the interaction between fundamental constructs of the universe.
The force due to mass interactions only "pulls", whereas the force due to charge interactions can "push" or "pull".
The force due to mass interactions is always weaker than the force due to charge interactions.
Charged particles create both electrical force and gravitational force.
Lightening happens because gravity pulls charged particles to the ground.
Electrical force happens only when objects touch, but gravitational force reaches across open space.
To determine which statements are true when comparing Coulomb's Law to Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation, let's analyze each statement one by one:
1. Both Laws are about the relationship between two masses.
This statement is FALSE. Coulomb's Law describes the relationship between two charged particles, whereas Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation describes the relationship between two masses.
2. Both Laws are "inverse square" relationships.
This statement is TRUE. Both Coulomb's Law and Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation follow an inverse square relationship. This means that the force between two particles or masses decreases with the square of the distance between them.
3. Each Law relates a force to the interaction between fundamental constructs of the universe.
This statement is TRUE. Both Coulomb's Law and Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation relate the force of interaction between fundamental constructs of the universe, which are charges for Coulomb's Law and masses for Newton's Law.
4. The force due to mass interactions only "pulls", whereas the force due to charge interactions can "push" or "pull".
This statement is TRUE. In Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation, the force due to mass interactions is always attractive and can only "pull." However, in Coulomb's Law, the force due to charge interactions can be both attractive and repulsive, leading to both "push" and "pull" interactions between charged particles.
5. The force due to mass interactions is always weaker than the force due to charge interactions.
This statement is FALSE. The force due to mass interactions and the force due to charge interactions can vary significantly depending on the magnitudes of the masses or charges involved. There is no general rule stating that one is always stronger or weaker than the other.
6. Charged particles create both electrical force and gravitational force.
This statement is TRUE. Charged particles create electrical forces due to their charges and gravitational forces due to their masses.
7. Lightning happens because gravity pulls charged particles to the ground.
This statement is FALSE. Lightning occurs due to electrical discharge between charged particles in the atmosphere and the ground. The force responsible for lightning is electrical, not gravitational.
8. Electrical force happens only when objects touch, but gravitational force reaches across open space.
This statement is FALSE. Electrical forces, described by Coulomb's Law, can act over a distance just like gravitational forces described by Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. There is no requirement for objects to touch in order for electrical forces to act. Gravitational forces, like electrical forces, can also act across open space.
So, to summarize, the TRUE statements when comparing Coulomb's Law to Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation are:
- Both Laws are "inverse square" relationships.
- Each Law relates a force to the interaction between fundamental constructs of the universe.
- The force due to mass interactions only "pulls", whereas the force due to charge interactions can "push" or "pull".
- Charged particles create both electrical force and gravitational force.
- Electrical force happens only when objects touch, but gravitational force reaches across open space.