Question

16
the table below shows the distance between the atoms in an atom pair. all four pairs of atoms have the same amount of electric charge.

pair of atoms	distance between the atoms
c & d	9 units
p & q	25 units
x & y	16 units

which pair of atoms are repelled from each other with the most force?

a. pair p & q
b. pair c & d
c. pair a & b
d. pair x & y

Explanation:

To determine the force of repulsion between charged atoms, we use Coulomb's Law, which states that the force (\(F\)) between two charged objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance (\(r\)) between them, i.e., \(F \propto \frac{1}{r^2}\). Since all atom pairs have the same charge, the pair with the smallest distance will experience the largest repulsive force.

• For Pair A & B: \(r = 4\) units, \(r^2 = 16\)
• For Pair C & D: \(r = 9\) units, \(r^2 = 81\)
• For Pair P & Q: \(r = 25\) units, \(r^2 = 625\)
• For Pair X & Y: \(r = 16\) units, \(r^2 = 256\)

The smallest \(r^2\) (and thus the smallest \(r\)) is for Pair A & B (4 units), so they experience the most repulsive force.

Answer:

C. Pair A & B