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What is the electric field strength 53 pm from a proton? - Leaving Cert Physics - Question (i) - 2017
Question (i)
What is the electric field strength 53 pm from a proton?
Worked Solution & Example Answer:What is the electric field strength 53 pm from a proton? - Leaving Cert Physics - Question (i) - 2017
Step 1
Calculate the electric field strength
Answer
To find the electric field strength (E) at a distance from a point charge, we use the formula:
where:
- ( F ) is the force experienced by a charge in the electric field,
- ( q ) is the charge experiencing the force.
Alternatively, using Coulomb's Law, the electric field created by a point charge is given by:
where:
- ( Q ) is the point charge (for a proton, ( Q = e = 1.6 \times 10^{-19} ) C),
- ( r ) is the distance from the charge (given as 53 pm = ( 53 \times 10^{-12} ) m),
- ( \epsilon_0 ) is the permittivity of free space (approximately ( 8.85 \times 10^{-12} ) C²/(N m²)).
Substituting the values:
-
Convert the distance from pm to meters: ( r = 53 \times 10^{-12} ) m
-
Substitute the values into the equation:
- Perform the calculation to obtain the electric field strength: ( E \approx 5.1 \times 10^{11} ) N C⁻¹ (or equivalently V m⁻¹).