Two Identical Spheres Are Resting on a Horizontal Surface at a Distance

Multiple Choice

Two identical spheres are resting on a horizontal surface at a distance of 0.04 m from each other, each attached to an identical unstretched spring with a spring constant of 100 N/m. If we charge the spheres with a negative charge of -1.60 ìC each, what is the new spacing between the spheres? Coulomb's constant is k = 9.0 × 10⁹ N m²/C².

A) 0.14 m
B) 0.18 m
C) 0.32 m
D) 0.36 m