Calculate Electric Field Magnitude at x=0.5, y=0.5

[kbyws37]

Two electric charges, q1 = +22.8 nC and q2 = +10.1 nC, are located on the x−axis at x = 0 m and x = 1.00 m, respectively. What is the magnitude of the electric field at the point x = 0.50 m, y = 0.50 m?


I used the equation

E= ((k)(q))/r^2
for each q1 and q2.

I don't know what to do next to find the mag. at x = 0.5 and y = 0.5.

thanks in advance

 

[~electric~]

try finding the E at (0.50,0.50) from each charge using the equation.
then it's a matter of summing both electric fields.(Vector algebra).

 

[~electric~]

to find magnitude: think Pythagorean ;)

 

[kbyws37]

when you say use 0.5, 0.5... does that mean that r = 0.5?
so it would be 0.5^2 for the denominator?

 

[~electric~]

find the distance from the charge to the points(0.5,0.5) (this is the xy coordinate for the point in space where you are trying to find the electric field)

 

[kbyws37]

Sorry I'm not understanding it.

There is a distance of 1.0 m between q1 and q2.
The points (0.5, 0.5) would be in between q1 and q2?
So the distance would be 0.5m and thus r = 0.5?

 

[~electric~]

you are picturing it wrong. when you draw the picture you have q1 at (0,0)ie, x=0 and y=0 for q1. similarily, for q2 it is (1,0) where x=1 and y=0. Now you are required to find the the electric field at (0.5,0.5) that is x=0.5 and y=0.5. Hope you have a picture now. when you are finding the E from q1 at (0.5,0.5) , the distance is (0.5-0,0.5-0) = (0.5,0.5) therefore r = sqrt(0.5^2+0.5^2). use this 'r' value into E equation, that is your E at (0.5,0.5) from q1.Do the same for q2 too. Then follow what i mentioned above