Coulomb's Law (Electricity and Magnetism) Question

AI Thread Summary
To determine the values of q2 and q4 that result in zero net force on charges q1, q3, and q5, one must analyze the forces acting on these charges using Coulomb's Law. The forces between the charges depend on their magnitudes and the distances separating them, with the constant K being 8.99x10^9. A free body diagram can help visualize the forces and their directions, leading to the formulation of three equations based on the summation of forces. By solving these equations, which involve two unknowns (q2 and q4), the required charge values can be found. Understanding the interactions and applying algebraic methods are crucial to solving this problem effectively.
thepassenger48
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Homework Statement


Five point charges on a straight line are separated by a distance of 0.01 m. For what values of q2 and q4 would the net force on each of the other three charges be zero?

q1-----q2-----q3-----q4-----q5

Where:
q1= 2x10^-6 C
q3= 1x10^-6 C
q5= 2x10^-6 C

Homework Equations



Force = (q1q2K)/r²
Where q are the charges, K is a constant (8.99x10^9) and r is the distance between the charges.
The problem is solved using a free body diagram and a summation of forces.

The Attempt at a Solution



I have no idea as to how to approach this problem, I'm not looking for a full solution but for some advice. My main questions are; how do I deal with the forces and their directions? Then how can I use algebra to optain the values of q2 and q4?
Thanks!
 
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Sum up the forces for q1, q3, and q5. You shoud have 3 equations and 2 unknowns, because you know the distance each force acts over
 
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