Ratio of forces between 2 small spheres charged to const potential in ...
Ratio of forces between two small spheres charged to constant potential
When two small spheres are charged to a constant potential, the ratio of forces between them in air and in a medium with dielectric constant k can be determined using Coulomb's law and the equation for capacitance.
Capacitance of a Sphere
The capacitance of a sphere can be determined using the equation:
C = 4πεr
Where C is the capacitance, ε is the permittivity of the medium, and r is the radius of the sphere.
Coulomb's Law
Coulomb's law states that the force between two point charges is proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. The equation for Coulomb's law is:
F = kq1q2/r^2
Where F is the force, k is the Coulomb constant, q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the distance between them.
Ratio of Forces
The ratio of forces between two small spheres charged to a constant potential in air and in a medium with dielectric constant k can be determined using the equations for capacitance and Coulomb's law:
F_air/F_k = C_k/C_air
Where F_air and F_k are the forces between the two spheres in air and in the medium with dielectric constant k, respectively. C_air and C_k are the capacitances of the spheres in air and in the medium with dielectric constant k, respectively.
Since the capacitance of a sphere is directly proportional to the radius and inversely proportional to the permittivity of the medium, the ratio of forces can be expressed as:
F_air/F_k = ε_air/ε_k
Where ε_air and ε_k are the permittivities of air and the medium with dielectric constant k, respectively.
Therefore, the ratio of forces between two small spheres charged to a constant potential in air and in a medium with dielectric constant k is inversely proportional to the permittivity of the medium.