A proton is about 2000 times more massive that an electron but they both have charges of the same magnitude.The magnitude of the force on an electron by a proton is ____ the magnitude of the force on the proton by the electron.
A)2000 times greater than
B)equal to
C)2000 times less than
D)negligible compared to
E)None of these answers is correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Coulomb's law, the magnitude of the force between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of their distance. Since both proton and electron have charges of the same magnitude, the forces on each other will be equal. The mass difference between them does not affect the magnitude of the force. Therefore, choice B is the correct answer.

A Proton Is About 2000 Times More Massive That an Electron