Physics
In lab tests it was found that rats can detect electric fields of about 5.07 kN/C or more. If a point charge of 1.24 μC is sitting in a maze, how close must the rat come to the charge in order to detect it?
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The rat would need to come within a distance of approximately 4.14 mm of the point charge in order to detect it. This can be calculated using Coulomb's Law, which states that the electric field generated by a point charge is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the point charge. Thus, if we measure the electric field generated by the 1.24 μC point charge and set it equal to 5.07 kN/C, we can solve for the distance at which the point charge would generate this electric field. That distance is 4.14 mm.
