Electric field for point charge

In summary, the conversation discusses an experiment involving charging a piece of aluminum foil and calculating the electric field from a charged plate. The person calculates the gravitational force and then uses the equation F = Eq to find the electric field, but their calculation is incorrect. They receive clarification and the correct value for the electric field is determined to be 4557 N/C.
  • #1
tuggler
45
0

Homework Statement




You charge a piece of aluminum foil (mass = 4.65 g) by touching it to a charged rod. The charged rod gives the aluminum foil a charge of 10 µC. Your professor brings a charged plate over and tells you to put the aluminum foil on top of the plate. To your surprise the aluminum foil hovers motionless in the air above it! Calculate the value of the electric field from the charged plate (assume it is a uniform field and the aluminum foil is a point charge).

Homework Equations



F = Eq and F = ma



The Attempt at a Solution



What I did was first calculate the gravitational force with the equation F = ma = (9.8m/s^2)(4.65g) = 45.6 N. Then I use the equation [tex]F = Eq \implies E= F/q[/tex], where E = electric field, q = charge, and F = force.

Thus F = 45.6, q = 10e-6 [tex]\implies [/tex] 45.6N/(10e-6 µC ) = 455700 N/C.

But it is wrong. What did I do wrong? Thanks in advance!
 
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  • #2
tuggler said:
What I did was first calculate the gravitational force with the equation F = ma = (9.8m/s^2)(4.65g) = 45.6 N.

Do grams times meters per seconds squared give Newtons?
 
  • #3
No, it does not, but kilograms over s^2 does.
 
  • #4
So what's the correct weight then?
 
  • #5
It is 4557 N/C. THANKS!
 

Related to Electric field for point charge

What is an electric field?

An electric field is a physical quantity that describes the influence of an electrically charged object on the space around it. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction, and is measured in units of newtons per coulomb (N/C).

How is an electric field created by a point charge?

A point charge is a theoretical concept of an object with a finite amount of electric charge but no physical size. The electric field created by a point charge is described by Coulomb's law, which states that the magnitude of the electric field at a distance r from the point charge is directly proportional to the magnitude of the charge (q) and inversely proportional to the square of the distance (r^2).

What is the direction of the electric field for a positive point charge?

The direction of the electric field for a positive point charge is radially outward, meaning it points away from the charge. This is because like charges repel each other, so the electric field lines spread out in all directions.

How does the electric field change with distance from a point charge?

The strength of the electric field decreases with distance from a point charge. This is because the electric field is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the point charge. This means that as the distance increases, the electric field becomes weaker.

What is the relationship between electric field and electric potential for a point charge?

The electric potential at a point in space is directly proportional to the electric field at that point. This means that the electric potential increases or decreases in the same direction as the electric field. The electric potential is also inversely proportional to the distance from the point charge, similar to the electric field.

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