describe factors that influence the force of attraction or repulsion between two objects that are charged.
Why?
Coulombic attraction is the attraction between oppositely charged particles. For example, the protons in the nucleus of an atom have an attraction for the electrons surrounding the nucleus. This is because the protons are positive and the electrons are negative. The attractive force can be weak or strong. In this activity, you will explore the strength of attraction between protons and electrons in various scenarios.
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1.
What subatomic particles do these symbols represent in Model 1?
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proton
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electron
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2.
Would you expect to observe attraction or repulsion between the subatomic particles in Model 1?
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3.
What is the independent variable in Model 1?
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4.
What is the dependent variable in Model 1?
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5.
In a complete sentence, describe the relationship between the independent and dependent variables in Model 1.
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6.
If the distance between a proton and electron is 0.50 nm, would you expect the force of attraction to be greater than or less than 0.26 x 10-8 N?
Model 2 - Number of Protons and Attractive Force
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7.
What is the independent variable in Model 2?
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8.
What is the dependent variable in Model 2?
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9.
In a complete sentence, describe the relationship between the independent and dependent variables in Model 2.
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10.
What would be the attractive force on a single electron if five protons were in the nucleus of an atom? Show mathematical work to support your answer.
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11.
Imagine that a second electron were placed to the left of a nucleus containing two protons (Model 2, Set D). Predict the force of attraction on both the original electron and the second electron.
Read This!
The attractive and repulsive forces in an atom are rather complex. An electron is attracted to the protons in the nucleus, but is also repelled by the other electrons in the atom. It is important to note, however, that the attractive force of the nucleus is NOT divided up among the electrons in the atom. Each electron gets approximately the full attractive force of the nucleus (minus the repulsive effects of other electrons). Compare the diagram below to set D in Model 2. Notice the similarity in attractive force.
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12.
What is the approximate attractive force on each electron below?
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13.
Which factor seems to have the greatest impact on the attractive force between two charged particles:
distance between particles OR difference in charge between particles?
Justify your answer with evidence from Model 1 and Model 2 above.
