There are two identical, positively charged conducting spheres fixed in space. The spheres are 40.4 cm apart (center to center) and repel each other with an electrostatic force of F1=0.0720 N . A thin conducting wire connects the spheres, redistributing the charge on each sphere. When the wire is removed, the spheres still repel, but with a force of F2=0.115 N . The Coulomb force constant is k=1/(4π????0)=8.99×109 N⋅m2/C2 . Using this information, find the initial charge on each sphere, q1 and q2 , if q1 is initially less than q2 .

[tex]F_1=\dfrac{kq_1q_2}{r^2}\\\Rightarrow q_1q_2=\dfrac{F_1r^2}{k}\\\Rightarrow q_1q_2=\dfrac{0.072\times 0.404^2}{8.99\times 10^{9}}\\\Rightarrow q_1q_2=1.307\times 10^{-12}\\\Rightarrow q_1=\dfrac{1.307\times 10^{-12}}{q_2}[/tex]

[tex]F_2=\dfrac{kq^2}{r^2}\\\Rightarrow q=\sqrt{\dfrac{F_2r^2}{k}}\\\Rightarrow q=\sqrt{\dfrac{0.115\times 0.404^2}{8.99\times 10^{9}}}\\\Rightarrow q=1.44\times 10^{-6}\ \text{C}[/tex]

[tex]q=\dfrac{q_1+q_2}{2}\\\Rightarrow q_1+q_2=2q\\\Rightarrow q_1+q_2=2\times1.44\times 10^{-6}\\\Rightarrow q_1+q_2=2.88\times 10^{-6}[/tex]

Substituting the above value of [tex]q_1[/tex] we get

[tex]\dfrac{1.307\times 10^{-12}}{q_2}+q_2=2.88\times 10^{-6}\\\Rightarrow q_2^2-2.88\times 10^{-6}q_2+1.307\times 10^{-12}=0\\\Rightarrow \frac{-\left(-0.00000288\right)\pm \sqrt{\left(-0.00000288\right)^2-4\times \:1\times \:1.307\times 10^{-12}}}{2\times \:1}\\\Rightarrow q_2=2.32\times 10^{-6}, 5.64\times 10^{-7}[/tex]

[tex]q_1=\dfrac{1.307\times 10^{-12}}{q_2}=\dfrac{1.307\times 10^{-12}}{2.32\times 10^{-6}}\\\Rightarrow q_1=5.63\times 10^{-7}[/tex]

[tex]q_1=\dfrac{1.307\times 10^{-12}}{q_2}=\dfrac{1.307\times 10^{-12}}{5.64\times 10^{-7}}\\\Rightarrow q_1=2.32\times 10^{-6}[/tex]

Since we know [tex]q_1<q_2[/tex]

[tex]q_1=5.64\times 10^{-7}\ \text{C}[/tex] and [tex]q_2=2.32\times 10^{-6}\ \text{C}[/tex].