In hydrogen like system the ratio of coulombian force and gravitational force between an electron and a proton is in the order of:
Correct Answer :
1039
1039
Solution :
The correct answer is 1039.
In a hydrogen-like system, an electron and a proton interact via two fundamental forces: the Coulombian (electrostatic) force and the Gravitational force. We need to find the ratio of these two forces.
Step 1: Write the expressions for both forces
Let r be the separation between the electron and proton. Since both forces follow an inverse-square law with the same r, it cancels out in the ratio.
Coulombian Force:
Gravitational Force:
Step 2: Write the ratio
Notice that r² cancels out, so the ratio is independent of distance.
Step 3: Substitute known values
The constants needed are:
- Coulomb's constant: N·m²/C²
- Charge of electron: C
- Gravitational constant: N·m²/kg²
- Mass of electron: kg
- Mass of proton: kg
Step 4: Calculate the numerator (Coulombian)
Step 5: Calculate the denominator (Gravitational)
Step 6: Compute the final ratio
Conclusion: The ratio of Coulombian force to gravitational force between an electron and a proton is approximately 2.27 × 1039, which is of the order of 1039.
This enormous ratio shows that the electrostatic (Coulombian) force is approximately 1039 times stronger than the gravitational force between subatomic particles. This is why gravity is completely negligible in atomic and subatomic physics — electrostatic interactions completely dominate at these scales.
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