Coulomb force and charge equilibrium on the xy-plane

In summary, the conversation discusses the problem of finding the magnitude Q and location R of a third charge that will result in a total force of zero on each of the three charges q, 4q, and Q. The solution involves plotting the problem on a coordinate system and using the Coulomb force relation to calculate the values of Q and R. After calculations, the options given do not match the calculated values, leading to a question about the correctness of the answer. The conclusion is that the answer cannot have the same sign as q to avoid net forces pushing q and 4q away from Q.
  • #1
PRASHANT KUMAR
23
0

Homework Statement


Two point charges q and 4q are located at r1 and r2, respectively, on the xy- plane. The magnitude Q and location R of a third charge to be places on the plane such that the total force on each of the three charges vanishes, are?

first i plotted the problem on the xy coordinate system and then the position vectors of two charges q and 4q as r1 and r2 and then i kept the charge Q at R and then i calculated the sum of forces on the charge q by the two other charges and equated to zero. And again using coulomb force relation i equated the sum of forces on charge Q by q and 4q then i calculated the values of Q and R

i am getting R=(2r1+r2)/3 and Q= 4q/9 but the options are
  1. Q= -4q/9 and R= (2r1+r2)/3
  2. Q= -4q/5 and R= (r1+2r2)/3
  3. Q= -4q/25 and R= (16r1+r2)/17^(1/2)
4.Q= -9q/4 and R =(r1 + 2r2)/3

in calculating the above problem i was equating the magnitude of the forces .
So, is my answer correct or not?
if not then how to calculate that ?
 
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  • #2
PRASHANT KUMAR said:
am getting R=(2r1+r2)/3 and Q= 4q/9
It clearly cannot have the same sign as q. That would subject q and 4q to net forces pushing them away from Q. Please post your working.
 

1. What is the Coulomb force?

The Coulomb force, also known as electrostatic force, is the force of attraction or repulsion between two charged particles. It is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

2. How is the Coulomb force calculated?

The Coulomb force can be calculated using Coulomb's law, which states that the force between two point charges is equal to the product of their charges divided by the square of the distance between them, multiplied by a constant known as the permittivity of free space.

3. What is the relationship between Coulomb force and total force?

Coulomb force is a type of total force, as it is one of the four fundamental forces of nature along with gravity, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force. It is responsible for the interactions between charged particles.

4. How does distance affect the Coulomb force?

The Coulomb force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between two charged particles. This means that as the distance increases, the force decreases, and vice versa.

5. What are the units of Coulomb force?

The SI unit of Coulomb force is Newton (N), which is equivalent to kg*m/s^2. However, it can also be expressed in other units, such as dynes or pound-force.

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