Question Details

In hydrogen like system the ratio of coulombian force and gravitational force between an electron and a proton is in the order of:

Options

A

1039

B

1019

C

1029

D

1036

Show Answer

Correct Answer :

Option A

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:

FC = ke2 r2

Gravitational Force:

FG = Gmemp r2

Step 2: Write the ratio

FC FG = ke2 Gmemp

Notice that cancels out, so the ratio is independent of distance.

Step 3: Substitute known values

The constants needed are:

- Coulomb's constant: k=9×109 N·m²/C²
- Charge of electron: e=1.6×10-19 C
- Gravitational constant: G=6.67×10-11 N·m²/kg²
- Mass of electron: me=9.11×10-31 kg
- Mass of proton: mp=1.67×10-27 kg

Step 4: Calculate the numerator (Coulombian)

ke2 = 9×109 × (1.6×10-19)2

= 9×109 × 2.56×10-38

= 23.04×10-29 = 2.304×10-28 N·m²

Step 5: Calculate the denominator (Gravitational)

Gmemp = 6.67×10-11 × 9.11×10-31 × 1.67×10-27

= 6.67×9.11×1.67 × 10-11-31-27

= 101.5×10-69 1.015×10-67 N·m²

Step 6: Compute the final ratio

FC FG = 2.304×10-28 1.015×10-67

= 2.27×10-28+67 = 2.27×1039

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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