Calculating Forces in a Square Arrangement of Point Charges

In summary, the conversation is about finding the magnitude and direction of the force at each corner of a square with four point charges. The person is struggling with setting up the forces and determining the direction of the force coming in from the diagonal. The advice given is to use the formula F=k q1*q2/ r^2 and to use Pythagorean theorem to find the "r" value in terms of direction. It is also mentioned that opposites repel and likes attract in terms of direction.
  • #1
dmart1990
1
0
I've been working on this problem for a while but i am getting confused on vector directions.

Four point charges are arranged in a square with sides of 0.38m. Find the magnitude and direction of the force at each corner of the square.


Point 1=3nC Point 2= 19nC


Point 3= -6nC Point 4= -17nC

(this is what the square looks like)



I've been setting up the forces at each point using F=k q1*q2/ r^2 but I am not sure i have the arrows in the right directions and how to calculate the force coming in from the diagonal!

PLEASE HELP!
 
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  • #2
force on the diagonal the only thing that changes is ur "r" value, use pythagorus to find "r" in terms of directions, opposites repel, likes attract, and direction would be from the charge point of view
 

Related to Calculating Forces in a Square Arrangement of Point Charges

1. What is Coulomb's Law?

Coulomb's Law is a fundamental law of electrostatics that describes the force between two charged particles. It states that the force between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

2. Who discovered Coulomb's Law?

Coulomb's Law was discovered by French physicist Charles-Augustin de Coulomb in 1785.

3. How is Coulomb's Law related to a square?

Coulomb's Law is not directly related to a square. It is a mathematical formula that involves the square of the distance between two charged particles.

4. What is the mathematical formula for Coulomb's Law?

The mathematical formula for Coulomb's Law is F = k(q1q2)/r^2, where F is the force between two charged particles, k is the Coulomb constant, q1 and q2 are the charges of the particles, and r is the distance between them.

5. What are the units of measurement for Coulomb's Law?

The units of measurement for Coulomb's Law are newtons (N) for force, coulombs (C) for charge, and meters (m) for distance. The units of the Coulomb constant, k, are Nm^2/C^2.

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