Electric Field: Adding Up Field Vectors at a Point

Click For Summary
To find the electric field at a specific point, you add the electric field vectors contributed by each charge as vectors. These vectors are summed in the same manner as forces acting on a positive test charge. The direction of the field vectors aligns with the direction of the force experienced by a positive test charge. Understanding this vector addition is crucial for accurately determining the resultant electric field. This method ensures a correct representation of the electric field at the given point.
AznBoi
Messages
470
Reaction score
0
If a problem asks you to find the electric field at a certain point, do you add up the field vectors as if they were forces on a positive test charge?

For example:
04_1920.jpg
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Not exactly sure what you mean. You add up the field vectors contributed by each charge--you add them like vectors, of course. Is your question how do you find the direction of the field vectors? If so, then yes, they point in the same direction as the force on a positive test charge.
 
yes :) i would
 
The book claims the answer is that all the magnitudes are the same because "the gravitational force on the penguin is the same". I'm having trouble understanding this. I thought the buoyant force was equal to the weight of the fluid displaced. Weight depends on mass which depends on density. Therefore, due to the differing densities the buoyant force will be different in each case? Is this incorrect?

Similar threads

Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
3K
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 68 ·
3
Replies
68
Views
7K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K