---
title: "Two small conducting spheres are separated by a center-to-center distance \\(d\\). Sphere 1 carries a charge \\(q_1\\) and sphere 2 carries a charge \\(q_2\\), resulting in an electrostatic force of magnitude \\(F_0\\) between them. The charge on sphere 1 is then changed to \\(2q_1\\), while the charge on sphere 2 remains \\(q_2\\), and the distance between their centers is decreased to \\(\\dfrac{d}{2}\\). What is the magnitude of the new electrostatic force between the spheres in terms of \\(F_0\\)?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/117879/"
date_modified: "2026-08-04T08:02:13+00:00"
---

# Two small conducting spheres are separated by a center-to-center distance \(d\). Sphere 1 carries a charge \(q_1\) and sphere 2 carries a charge \(q_2\), resulting in an electrostatic force of magnitude \(F_0\) between them. The charge on sphere 1 is then changed to \(2q_1\), while the charge on sphere 2 remains \(q_2\), and the distance between their centers is decreased to \(\dfrac{d}{2}\). What is the magnitude of the new electrostatic force between the spheres in terms of \(F_0\)?

Two small conducting spheres are separated by a center-to-center distance \(d\). Sphere 1 carries a charge \(q_1\) and sphere 2 carries a charge \(q_2\), resulting in an electrostatic force of magnitude \(F_0\) between them. The charge on sphere 1 is then changed to \(2q_1\), while the charge on sphere 2 remains \(q_2\), and the distance between their centers is decreased to \(\dfrac{d}{2}\). What is the magnitude of the new electrostatic force between the spheres in terms of \(F_0\)?

- **A.** \(8 F_0\)
- **B.** \(4 F_0\)
- **C.** \(2 F_0\)
- **D.** \(\dfrac{1}{2} F_0\)

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/117879/*