Question:

Two charges \( 2\mu\text{C} \) and \( 8\mu\text{C} \) are placed \( 2\text{ m} \) apart. Force between them is:

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Always double-check your arithmetic divisions! Breaking down products early by canceling terms out (e.g., canceling out the \(2^2 = 4\) in the denominator with the \(8\) in the numerator to leave a factor of \(2\)) turns the calculation into a simple \(9 \times 2 \times 2 = 36\), preventing alignment errors.
Updated On: Jun 3, 2026
  • \( 0.018\text{ N} \)
  • \( 0.036\text{ N} \)
  • \( 0.072\text{ N} \)
  • \( 0.144\text{ N} \)
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Concept: According to Coulomb's Law, the electrostatic force of attraction or repulsion between two stationary point charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The fundamental formula is given by: \[ F = \frac{k \cdot |q_1 \cdot q_2|}{r^2} \] where:
• \( F \) is the electrostatic force in Newtons (\(\text{N}\)).
• \( q_1 \) and \( q_2 \) are the magnitudes of the two point charges in Coulombs (\(\text{C}\)).
• \( r \) is the separation distance between the charges in meters (\(\text{m}\)).
• \( k \) is Coulomb's constant (electrostatic force constant), where in vacuum or air: \[ k = \frac{1}{4\pi\varepsilon_0} \approx 9 \times 10^9 \text{ N}\cdot\text{m}^2/\text{C}^2 \]

Step 1:
Extracting the parameters and converting units to standard SI units.
From the question statement, we have:
• First charge, \( q_1 = 2\mu\text{C} = 2 \times 10^{-6}\text{ C} \)
• Second charge, \( q_2 = 8\mu\text{C} = 8 \times 10^{-6}\text{ C} \)
• Distance between them, \( r = 2\text{ m} \)

Step 2:
Substituting the values into Coulomb's equation.
Apply the values directly into the formula: \[ F = \frac{(9 \times 10^9) \cdot (2 \times 10^{-6}) \cdot (8 \times 10^{-6})}{(2)^2} \] Simplifying the terms in the numerator: \[ F = \frac{9 \times 2 \times 8 \times 10^{9 - 6 - 6}}{4} \] \[ F = \frac{144 \times 10^{-3}}{4} \]

Step 3:
Calculating the final numerical force value.
Divide \( 144 \) by \( 4 \): \[ F = 36 \times 10^{-3}\text{ N} \] Converting the scientific notation back to standard decimal notation: \[ F = 0.036\text{ N} \] This calculated value corresponds exactly to option (B). Let me update the correct answer label accordingly.
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