Could someone help me on how to put this all together.
Atomic physicists ignore the effect of gravity within an atom. To see why, calculate and compare the gravitational and electrical forces between an electron and a proton separated by 10-10m.
Im confused ok i have that the mass of a proton is 1.6726231 x 10^-27 and the mas of an electron is 9.1093897 x 10^-31
charge of an electron is 1.602 x 10^-19 what do i do with all of this, is g1 the charge of the proton g2 the charge of the electron? what is d is that 10 m?
You have the masses right. The charge on the proton is the same as the electron, but opposite charge.
d is 10-10 meters.
To calculate and compare the gravitational and electrical forces between an electron and a proton separated by 10^(-10) m, you can use the formulas for gravitational force and electrical force and then compare the two. Here's how you can put it all together:
1. Gravitational Force (Fg):
The formula for gravitational force is Fg = (G * m1 * m2) / r^2,
where G is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.67430 x 10^(-11) m^3 kg^(-1) s^(-2)),
m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects, and r is the distance between them.
In this case, m1 is the mass of the proton (1.6726231 x 10^(-27) kg),
m2 is the mass of the electron (9.1093897 x 10^(-31) kg),
and r is the distance (10^(-10) m).
Plug in the values to calculate the gravitational force (Fg).
2. Electrical Force (Fe):
The formula for electrical force is Fe = (k * q1 * q2) / r^2,
where k is the electrostatic constant (approximately 8.9875517923 x 10^9 N m^2 C^(-2)),
q1 and q2 are the charges of the two objects, and r is the distance between them.
In this case, q1 is the charge of the proton (1.602 x 10^(-19) C),
q2 is the charge of the electron (-1.602 x 10^(-19) C),
and r is the distance (10^(-10) m).
Plug in the values to calculate the electrical force (Fe).
3. Compare the forces:
Once you have calculated both the gravitational force (Fg) and electrical force (Fe),
compare their magnitudes. You can do this by comparing the absolute values |Fg| and |Fe|.
As you compare, keep in mind that the gravitational force is always attractive (negative) while the electrical force can be attractive or repulsive, depending on the charges and signs involved.
If |Fg| < |Fe|, then the electrical force dominates, and the effect of gravity within an atom can be ignored.
If |Fg| > |Fe|, then the gravitational force dominates, and the effect of gravity within an atom cannot be ignored.
Remember to use the appropriate units when plugging in values and obtaining the final result.