Basic electric force/field question I can't get

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem involving electric forces and fields, specifically concerning a charged particle moving between two points and the associated electric potential energy changes. Participants are exploring the relationships between electric force, electric field, and potential energy in the context of electrostatics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are examining the relationship between electric potential energy and electric force, questioning the validity of their reasoning and calculations. Some are attempting to derive formulas and relate them to the given values, while others are seeking clarification on the definitions and relationships involved.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants sharing their attempts and reasoning. Some have provided insights into the relationships between potential energy and voltage, while others are questioning the correctness of their approaches. There is a mix of attempts to clarify concepts and check assumptions, but no consensus has been reached on the correct solution.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention that the problem is part of a homework assignment with specific constraints, including a limited number of attempts to arrive at the correct answer. There is also a reference to the lack of hints provided by the homework platform when answers are incorrect.

Kuzon
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Homework Statement


A particle has a charge of +1.7 μC and moves from point A to point B, a distance of 0.26 m. The particle experiences a constant electric force, and its motion is along the line of action of the force. The difference between the particle's electric potential energy at A and B is EPEA - EPEB = +8.1 x 10-4 J. (a) Find the magnitude of the electric force that acts on the particle. (b) Find the magnitude of the electric field that the particle experiences.

Homework Equations


F= qV/d

The Attempt at a Solution


What's wrong with this reasoning:
F = V/d and V=Ed so E=F/q=V/d
Therefore F=qV/d
substitute all those values into that formula to get the electrostatic force and it's wrong?

I also tried b) using E=kq/d^2 and that didn't work either! (I got 226331.3609 as the answer)

By the way, there are no rounding requirements or anything, only a 2% margin of error so it's not that.

Thanks a lot for your help in advance!
 
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What you are given is ##\Delta E_p## which is equal to ##q\Delta V##. By the way, what's the correct answer?
 
blue_leaf77 said:
What you are given is ##\Delta E_p## which is equal to ##q\Delta V##. By the way, what's the correct answer?

Right so I tried going:
deltaE/q = deltaV
Then using F=(q*deltaV)/d to get the electrostatic force and I got the wrong answer again
 
What's the correct answer according to your source?
 
blue_leaf77 said:
What's the correct answer according to your source?
I don't know sorry
 
Then how did you know that your answer was wrong? Is it a homework given to you?
 
blue_leaf77 said:
Then how did you know that your answer was wrong? Is it a homework given to you?
It's this homework website and you get 5 attempts at getting the correct answer, it tells you when it is wrong but doesn't give you hints or the correct answer.
 
Could someone please help with this question? Really struggling
 
Can you post your own answer?
 
  • #10
blue_leaf77 said:
Can you post your own answer?
I did it's in the OP. Do you know how to solve the question?
 
  • #11
They give you the change in potential energy ## \Delta W=F \cdot d=q V ##. The change in voltage is often also referred to as the change in potential, but here they were quite specific that the particle experienced a change in its "potential energy", so that ## \Delta W=q V ##. (using ## W ## here for energy to save the letter ## E ## for the electric field. Notice also that ## V ## stands for voltage in electrical problems, and only becomes energy when multiplied by the charge ## q ##.)
 
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  • #12
Kuzon said:
What's wrong with this reasoning:
F = V/d and V=Ed so E=F/q=V/d
Therefore F=qV/d
substitute all those values into that formula to get the electrostatic force and it's wrong?
You start with F=V/d and show that F=qV/d? Something is wrong there. The units on each side of F=V/d don't match, so it can't be right.

What value did you use for V?
 
  • #13
Kuzon said:
I did it's in the OP. Do you know how to solve the question?
You mean this: 226331.3609 ? Isn't that your answer for (b). I asked for your answer for part (a).
 
  • #14
Charles Link said:
They give you the change in potential energy ## \Delta W=F \cdot d=q V ##. The change in voltage is often also referred to as the change in potential, but here they were quite specific that the particle experienced a change in its "potential energy", so that ## \Delta W=q V ##. (using ## W ## here for energy to save the letter ## E ## for the electric field. Notice also that ## V ## stands for voltage in electrical problems, and only becomes energy when multiplied by the charge ## q ##.)
Thanks so much for this, I got it now.
 
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