Question

Large electric fields in cell membranes cause ions to move through the cell wall. The field strength in a typical membrane is 1.0 times 107 N/C. What is the magnitude of the force on a calcium ion with charge +e?

Answer 1

Explanation:

The given data is as follows.

          Electric field (E) = $1 \times 10^{7} N/C$

          Charge (e) = $1.6 \times 10^{-19}$ C

Formula to calculate the magnitude of force is as follows.

                F = qE

                   = $1.6 \times 10^{-19} \times 1 \times 10^{7} N/C$

                   = $1.6 \times 10^{-12} N$

Therefore, we can conclude that magnitude of the force on a calcium ion with charge +e is  $1.6 \times 10^{-12} N$.