Our planet Earth has a charge (- 5.7 • 10 ^ 5) C. What mass of electrons creates such a charge?
Our planet Earth has a charge (- 5.7 • 10 ^ 5) C. What mass of electrons creates such a charge? The charge of an electron is (- 1.6 • 10 ^ -19) C, and its mass is 9.1 • 10 ^ -31 kg. Express your answer in milligrams (mg) and round to the nearest whole number.
Task data: q (total charge of the planet Earth) = -5.7 * 10 ^ 5 C; qe (charge of one electron) = -1.6 * 10 ^ -19 C; me (mass of one electron) = 9.1 * 10 ^ -31 kg.
The sought mass of electrons, which have a total charge, like that of the planet Earth, is calculated by the formula: m = n * me = q / qe * me.
Let’s perform the calculation: m = -5.7 * 10 ^ 5 / (-1.6 * 10 ^ -19) * 9.1 * 10 ^ -31 ≈ 3.24 * 10 ^ -6 kg ≈ 3 mg.
Answer: A charge of -5.7 * 10 ^ 5 C can create electrons with a mass of 3 mg.