Two charges separated by one meter exert 1-N forces on each other.If the magnitude of each charge is doubled,the force on each charge is
A)1 N.
B)2 N.
C)4 N.
D)8 N.
E)None of the above choices are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

By Coulomb's Law, the force between two charges (F) is proportional to the product of their magnitudes (q1 and q2) and inversely proportional to the square of their separation distance (r):
F ∝ (q1q2)/r^2

Since the separation distance and one of the charges are constant, the force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the other charge. Doubling the magnitude of each charge means that q1 and q2 are both multiplied by 2, so the force between them becomes:
F' = (2q1)(2q2)/r^2 = 4(q1q2)/r^2

Thus, the force on each charge increases by a factor of 4, from 1 N to 4 N. Therefore, the correct choice is C.

Two Charges Separated by One Meter Exert 1-N Forces on Each