Calculating Electric Field at 4th Corner of Rectangle with 3 Charges

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the electric field at the fourth corner of a rectangle with three positive charges at the other corners, one must determine the electric field contribution from each charge using the formula E = q/(4πε₀r²). The total electric field is the vector sum of the individual fields, requiring the calculation of x and y components based on the angles relative to the horizontal. After determining the components for each charge, they should be summed while considering their directions and signs. Finally, Pythagoras' theorem can be used to find the resultant magnitude and direction of the total electric field. The approach described is indeed correct and straightforward.
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I have this question:

Positive charges are situated at 3 corners of a rectangle with charges q1, q2, and q3. Given each of their distances from the 4th corner of the rectangle, what is the electric field at the 4th corner?

Would it be the vector sum of the electric field of each of those at the 4th corner?
So, for q1, say it's r meters away, the field at that point would be:
E = q1/(4pi epsilon0 times r^2) ...
And then, knowing the angle at which it's pointed (relative to, say, the horizontal) I'd multiply it by the cosine of that angle and sine to end up with the x and y components, rinse and repeat for all of the others, add them all up (considering directions and signs) and then use Pythagoras' theorem, then finding the direction? Or am I thinking wrong?
Just want to know if I'm thinking of the right idea!
Thanks!
 
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You are thinking correct. Do you think it couldn't possibly be so easy? Well it is.
 
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