Question

Find the electric force between two protons separated
by a distance of 1 fermi (1 fermi = 10-15 m). The protons
in a nucleus remain at a separation of this order.​

Answer 1

To compare the two forces, we first compute the electrostatic force using Coulomb's law, F=k∣q1q2∣r2 F = k ∣ q 1 q 2 ∣ r 2 . We then calculate the gravitational force using Newton's universal law of gravitation. Finally, we take a ratio to see how the forces compare in magnitude.