The charges of an electron and a positron are -e and +e. The mass of each is 9.11 × 10−31 kg. What is the ratio of the electrical force to the gravitational force between an electron and a positron?
The electrical force between an electron and a positron separated by a distance r is Fe=ke2/r2. On the other hand, the gravitational force between the two charges is Fg=Gme2/r2. Thus, the ratio of the two forces is
FgFe=Gme2/r2ke2/r2=Gme2ke2=(6.67×10−11N⋅m2/kg2)(9.11×10−31kg)2(8.99×109N⋅m2/C2)(1.6×10−19C)2=4.16×1042.