Coulomb's law in its vector form?

AI Thread Summary
Coulomb's law in vector form emphasizes the importance of direction, especially when dealing with opposite charges, as the force vector can align with or oppose the position vector. The discussion highlights that expressing direction is simplified when using absolute values. Charge density can indeed be negative, which facilitates direction representation in calculations. The conversation also touches on the challenges of using LaTeX for formulas in forum posts, suggesting resources for better understanding. Overall, the thread provides insights into the nuances of vector representation in electrostatics.
ConfusedRookie
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sorry I have use the image I made. Since I don't know how to perform the formula on forum :(
This is the problem I am having.
wtf12345.png
 
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Hello Rookie, :welcome:

You would miss the direction of ##\vec F## if one of the two charges has a charge opposite to the other...
In other words: ##\vec F## can be in the same direction as ##\vec r## or it can be in the opposite direction.
 
suggest2.png
 
BvU said:
Hello Rookie, :welcome:

You would miss the direction of ##\vec F## if one of the two charges has a charge opposite to the other...
In other words: ##\vec F## can be in the same direction as ##\vec r## or it can be in the opposite direction.
Oh my god. I've just realized without the absolute symbols. It would be more easier to express the direction. Oh my oh my thank you very much teacher :)
 
My pleasure
 
BvU said:
My pleasure
Teacher. There's one more thing I would like to ask. I see there are many formula using "charge density". Is charge density able to be negative !?

ae544e.gif


If a charge density can be negative, it is very much easy to express its direction. I didn't find any vector form E that use the unit vector to express direction. They mainly focus on the magnitude.
 
With ##\vec F = q\vec E\ ## you can use (almost) the same expression

Charge density can be negative, yes: negative charge leads to negative charge density :smile:

Your picture in post #6 comes through as a lot of letters/numbers :nb)
 
ConfusedRookie said:
Since I don't know how to perform the formula on forum :(
Click HELP at the bottom of any page and then LaTeX Primer.
 

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