Coulombs law, vectors and charge-HELP

[yoshiba]

coulombs law, vectors and charge---HELP!

Homework Statement

Three positive particles of charges 15.0 µC are located at the corners of an equilateral triangle of side d = 16.5 cm (Fig. 16-38). Calculate the magnitude and direction of the net force on each particle.
(Q1 is at the top of the triangle with Q2 on the bottom left and Q3 on the bottom right)

Homework Equations

F=kq1q2/r^2

The Attempt at a Solution

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[Kurdt]

It should be easy to work out the magnitude of force on each particle due to another since for all of them it will be the same. All you have to do is work out the resultant direction of the force.

 

[Moetasim]

Coulomb's law is a fundamental law in electromagnetism 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.

In this scenario, we have three positive particles with charges of 15.0 µC located at the corners of an equilateral triangle. To calculate the net force on each particle, we can use Coulomb's law and vector addition.

First, we need to find the distance between the particles. Since the triangle is equilateral, all sides are equal and the distance between any two particles is the same. Using the Pythagorean theorem, we can find the distance to be 16.5 cm.

Next, we need to calculate the force between each pair of particles using Coulomb's law. For example, the force between Q1 and Q2 is given by:

F12 = (k * 15.0 µC * 15.0 µC) / (16.5 cm)^2 = 1.1 x 10^-3 N

Similarly, we can calculate the forces between Q1 and Q3, and between Q2 and Q3.

Now, to find the net force on each particle, we need to add up the forces using vector addition. Since the triangle is equilateral, the forces between Q1 and Q2, and between Q2 and Q3, are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. This means that they cancel each other out. The force between Q1 and Q3, however, has a different direction and will contribute to the net force on Q1.

To find the magnitude and direction of the net force on Q1, we can use vector addition. We can draw a diagram to represent the forces and use the Pythagorean theorem to find the magnitude of the net force. We can also use trigonometry to find the direction of the net force.

In summary, to find the magnitude and direction of the net force on each particle, we can use Coulomb's law and vector addition. This approach can be applied to any scenario involving multiple charged particles. I hope this helps!