Electric field on a point charge

In summary, the conversation discusses a question about calculating the electric field at a specific point between three charges. The problem provides the values for the charges and distances between them, and the person asking the question explains their attempted solution using the equation E=kq/r^2. However, the final answer does not match the expected result. The conversation ends with a request for clarification about the distance used in the calculations.
  • #1
Electro
48
0
Hello guys,
I have a question which I think I solved it right but I don't understand why the final answer is wrong.
Here's the problem: Consider three charges as shown. k is 8.98755 * 10^9 N m^2/c^2. What is the electric field at a point 1.01 cm to the left of the middle charge? Ans. in N/C.
For the figure: O---------O-------O; seems like this. The charges are: (beginning from the left) 7.35, 4.32, -3.42 microCulombs. Distances The left to Middle is 4.92 cm and Middle to Right is 4 cm.
So, the most left is positive, the middle is positive and the one in the right is negative. The point P is 1.01 cm to the left of the middle particle.

What I did:

E1 = [k*(7.35*10^-6)]/(0.0492-0.0101)^2
E2 = the same thing, with its parameters (but this is toward -x-axis)
E3= the same, toward + x-axis

Then I add this up and I get approx. -3.2517*10^8 N/C
Actually this is not the answer (at least the System says so)
Please take a look at this thing, maybe there's sth tiny I don't get.
Thanks
 
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  • #2
what is the distance you use for E2 and E3?
 
  • #3
For E2 i.e the middle one, I used just 1.01 cm (actually 0.0101 m) and for E3 4cm + 1.01 cm, which is 0.0501 m.
 

What is an electric field on a point charge?

The electric field on a point charge is a measure of the force that would be exerted on a positive test charge placed at a certain distance from the point charge. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

How is the electric field on a point charge calculated?

The electric field on a point charge is calculated using Coulomb's Law, which states that the force between two point charges is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

What factors affect the strength of the electric field on a point charge?

The strength of the electric field on a point charge is affected by the magnitude of the charge itself, as well as the distance between the point charge and the test charge. The strength also depends on the medium in which the charges are located, as different materials have different permittivity values.

What is the direction of the electric field on a point charge?

The direction of the electric field on a point charge is always radially outward if the charge is positive, and radially inward if the charge is negative. This means that the field lines always point away from a positive charge and towards a negative charge.

How does the electric field on a point charge relate to electric potential?

The electric field on a point charge is closely related to electric potential, as the potential is defined as the amount of work required to move a unit positive charge from infinity to a point in the electric field. This means that a stronger electric field will result in a larger change in potential over a given distance.

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