Electric field and an equilateral triangle

In summary, the problem involves three charged rods forming an equilateral triangle and the task is to find the electric field strength at the center of the triangle. The equation used is E = 4piKλL and the radius of the triangle is found to be 4.2688 cm. After several attempts, the correct answer is found to be using the height of the triangle (4.72 cm) and dividing it by 2. The final step is to find the height of the triangle (2 cm) and use it in the equation to get the correct answer.
  • #1
abeltyukov
32
0

Homework Statement



Three 8 cm long rods form an equilateral triangle. Two of the rods are charged to +8 nC, the third to -8 nC. What is the electric field strength at the center of the triangle?


Homework Equations



E = 4piKλL

The Attempt at a Solution



I found the radius of the triangle to be 4.2688 cm. I tried doing E = 4(pi)(9 x 10^9)(100 nC/m) (.042688 m) but that seems wrong. Is L not the radius of the triangle?


Thanks!
 
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  • #2
Whats the height of the triangle? Divide that by 2
 
  • #3
I still don't get the right answer when I plug in 0.0472 m for L. Any ideas?

Thanks!
 
  • #4
Thats still not it...start by finding the height
 
  • #5
The height is 4.72 cm, right? sqrt (8^2 + 4^2). Where do I go from there?

Thanks!
 
  • #6
This is not resolving vectors if that's what youre thinking. The hypotenuse is 8 cm and one of the sides is 4 cm. Then you need to cut that height in half
 

1. What is an electric field?

An electric field is a physical quantity that describes the force exerted by an electric charge on other charges in its vicinity. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

2. How is an electric field created?

An electric field is created by any object that has a net electric charge. This charge can be positive or negative, and it can be created by adding or removing electrons from an object.

3. What is an equilateral triangle?

An equilateral triangle is a type of triangle in which all three sides are equal in length. It is also known as a regular triangle, and all of its angles are 60 degrees.

4. How is an electric field distributed in an equilateral triangle?

In an equilateral triangle, the electric field is distributed evenly throughout the entire triangle. This means that the magnitude and direction of the electric field are the same at every point on the triangle.

5. How can the electric field at a point within an equilateral triangle be calculated?

The electric field at a point within an equilateral triangle can be calculated using the principle of superposition. This involves breaking down the triangle into smaller sections and calculating the electric field at the desired point due to each section, then adding them together to find the total electric field at that point.

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