Calculating Resultant Force on a Charge in a Triangle Configuration

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the resultant force on charge Q2 in a triangle configuration with charges Q1 (+2 C), Q2 (-4 C), and Q3 (+3 C) placed at the edges. The calculations utilize Coulomb's law, with the constant k set at 9 x 10^9 N m²/C². The user determined the distances and forces between the charges, ultimately calculating the resultant force on Q2 to be approximately -2.65919 x 10^13 N. The approach involved vector addition of the forces, confirming the necessity of considering both x and y components.

PREREQUISITES
  • Coulomb's Law for electrostatic force calculations
  • Vector addition principles in physics
  • Basic trigonometry, including sine and cosine functions
  • Pythagorean theorem for calculating resultant vectors
NEXT STEPS
  • Study advanced applications of Coulomb's Law in multi-charge systems
  • Learn about electric field concepts and their relation to forces on charges
  • Explore vector decomposition techniques for complex force systems
  • Investigate the effects of medium on electrostatic forces beyond vacuum conditions
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics, particularly those studying electrostatics, as well as educators and anyone involved in solving problems related to forces in charged particle systems.

kontejnjer
Messages
71
Reaction score
21

Homework Statement


Hello forums! I'd like to ask you for your assistance on this particular problem:

Three charges are placed at the edges of a triangle (Q1=+2 C, Q2=-4 C, Q3=+3 C) as shown on the picture (b=10 cm). What is the resultant force on charge Q2 (neglecting gravity and assuming the charges are in a vacuum)?

TriangleZZZ.jpg

Homework Equations



F=k*Q1*Q2/r^2

k=9*10^9 N m^2 C^-2

The Attempt at a Solution


The distance "a" is given by:
tan 30°=a/b
Which gives: a=5.7735 cm.

Using the Pythagorean theorem I got: c=11.547 cm.

Then I calculated the force between Q1 and Q2 to be: F1=-2.16*10^13 N
Then I calculated the force between Q3 and Q2 and got: F2=-8.1*10^12 N

The problem I'm having is calculating the resultant force (Fr) on Q2. Which sort of formula should I use to calculate it?
I made a force diagram as well:
Triangle2-1.jpg
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Force is a vector so you need to add the components. Find F2y and add it to F1 and then find F2x.
 
I think I got it. So, what I did was this:
sin 30°=Fy1/F2
From this, I got: Fy1=-4.05*10^12 N
then I added this to F1 and got: Fy2=Fy1+F1 => Fy2=-2.565*10^13 N
I got the x component from:
cos 30°=Fx/F2
And got: Fx=-7.0148*10^12 N
Then I used the Pythagorean theorem to find the resultant and got: Fr=[tex]\sqrt{(Fy2)^2+(Fx)^2}[/tex]
Fr=-2.65919*10^13 N

Does this look correct?
 

Similar threads

Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
9
Views
3K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
4K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
1K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
11K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K