Chapter 4: Q21E (page 714)
BIO Base Pairing in DNA, I. The two sides of the DNA double helix are connected by pairs of bases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine). Because of the geometric shape of these molecules, adenine bonds with thymine and cytosine bonds with guanine. Figure E21.21 shows the bonding of thymine and adenine. Each charge shown is, and the H鈥擭 distance is 0.110 nm. (a) Calculate the net force that thymine exerts on adenine. Is it attractive or repulsive? To keep the calculations fairly simple, yet reasonable, consider only the forces due to the O鈥擧鈥擭 and the N鈥擧鈥擭 combinations, assuming that these two combinations are parallel to each other. Remember, however, that in the O鈥擧鈥擭 set, theexerts a force on both theand the, and likewise along the N鈥擧鈥擭 set. (b) Calculate the force on the electron in the hydrogen atom, which is 0.0529 nm from the proton. Then compare the strength of the bonding force of the electron in hydrogen with the bonding force of the adenine鈥搕hymine molecules.

Short Answer
- Net force by thymine exerting on adenine is , and it is an attractive force.
- The force between electron and proton in the hydrogen atom is , and its ratio is 9.3