How Do You Calculate the Number of Coulombs in a Glass of Water?

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In summary, the conversation focused on calculating the number of coulombs of positive charge in 250 cm^3 of neutral water. The approach involved converting the volume to mass, using the ratio of moles to grams for water, and Avogadro's number to determine the number of molecules. It was also mentioned that each water molecule has 10 protons with a charge of 1.6x10^-19 C.
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LTech221
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Hi everyone its my first time here, read the forums greatly though and have been a help in understanding but now I am completely lost on this problem: Calculate the number of coulombs of positive charge in 250 cm^3 of (neutral) water (about a glass full). So far I tried converting the volume to m^3 (2.5E-4 m^3, not sure if it matters.)then tried tried dividing by colulomb's constant and ended up with units kg/s^2 * c^2 and don't know where to go from there. I am not sure if I really approached this problem right as the section it supposedly comes from keeps mentioning q=ne, but I cannot relate that directly. I am thinking I am missing something inbetween , any ideas to go about the problem would be appreciated.
 
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  • #2
if you know the volume of the water then it should be easy enough for you to convert that into an equivalent mass. From there you should know the ratio of moles to grams for water ( i think its something like 18.02g/mol). This allows you to convert you volume from grams into moles. Now you can use Avagadro's number (6.02x10^23) to know the number of molecules in your sample. From there you know that each water molecule is made up of H_2O...so that's 10 protons. And each proton have 1.6x10^-19 C of charge.

There you have it!
 
  • #3
Ahhh, that's what i was missing, thanks for the help :smile:
 

1. How do I calculate Coulombs?

To calculate Coulombs, you need to know the magnitude of the charges and the distance between them. Then, you can use the formula F = k * (q1 * q2)/r^2, where F is the force in Coulombs, k is the constant 8.99 * 10^9 Nm^2/C^2, q1 and q2 are the charges in Coulombs, and r is the distance between the charges in meters.

2. What is the unit of Coulombs?

Coulombs is the unit of electric charge, named after French physicist Charles-Augustin de Coulomb. It is represented by the symbol C and is equivalent to the charge of 6.24 * 10^18 electrons.

3. Can Coulombs be negative?

Yes, Coulombs can be negative. This indicates that the charge is negative, which means it has an excess of electrons. Positive Coulombs, on the other hand, indicate a positive charge, which means there is a deficiency of electrons.

4. How does distance affect Coulombs?

The force between two charges is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that as the distance increases, the force decreases. Therefore, the closer the charges are, the greater the Coulombs will be.

5. What is the significance of Coulombs in physics?

Coulombs play a crucial role in the study of electricity and magnetism. It helps us understand the forces between charged particles and how they interact with each other. This is essential in many fields, including electronics, energy, and telecommunications.

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