Electric Field's Force on a Suspended Plastic Ball

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem involving the forces acting on a small plastic ball suspended in an electric field. The ball has a specified mass and charge, and the problem requires determining the tension in the string and the angle of the string with respect to the vertical.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the need for a free body diagram and the relevant equations related to electric forces. There are inquiries about the correct charge value and the setup of the problem, including the length of the string.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing guidance on how to approach the problem, including the importance of showing work and clarifying assumptions. There is a focus on ensuring the correct values are used in calculations, but no consensus has been reached regarding the solution.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of attaching a diagram for clarity and emphasize the need to verify the charge value used in calculations. There are indications of potential confusion regarding the setup and the relationships between the forces involved.

EsinDerin
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Homework Statement
A small, 4.0-g plastic ball with charge Q=8uC,is suspended by a
cm-long string in a uniform electric field ⃗ E=9.8x10^2 in figure. If the ball is in equilibrium, Find
a) the tension force in the string
b) the angle between vertical axis and string.
Relevant Equations
E=k*q/r^2
k=1/4Eopi
Hi,I couldn't do this problem.I hope someone could help meths is my first time in this forum
 
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You need to show us how much you can do. You must have some idea how to solve this?
 
Welcome to the PF. :smile:
EsinDerin said:
Homework Statement:: A small, 4.0-g plastic ball with charge Q=8uC,is suspended by a
cm-long string in a uniform electric field ⃗ E=9.8x10^2 in figure. If the ball is in equilibrium, Find
a) the tension force in the string
b) the angle between vertical axis and string.
Relevant Equations:: E=k*q/r^2
k=1/4Eopi

Hi,I couldn't do this problem.I hope someone could help meths is my first time in this forum
In addition to showing your work, please try again to attach the diagram of the problem. How many cm long is the string?
 
This is the question
 

Attachments

  • Ekran Resmi 2020-04-06 23.50.56.png
    Ekran Resmi 2020-04-06 23.50.56.png
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Ah, that helps. Okay, please show us your free body diagram (FBD) for the plastic ball, and write the equation for the force of the electric field on a charged body (it is similar to the equation you wrote for the electric field from a charged particle above). Please show us your work. Thanks.
 
IMG_1907.jpg

I'm not sure about the solution.If there is any mistake,please show it.Thanks :)
 
EsinDerin said:
View attachment 260181
I'm not sure about the solution.If there is any mistake,please show it.Thanks :)
It all looked good until you came to the calculation. Why didn't you do:
$$\tan \theta = \frac{qE}{mg}$$
You made a mistake writing down the charge, which is ##0.8 \mu C##.

One minor point is that you shouldn't mix vectors like ##\vec{F_e}## and scalars like ##T_x## in the same equation.
 
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Ok,are the answers are correct,I would be happy if you answer
 
EsinDerin said:
Ok,are the answers are correct,I would be happy if you answer
It's wrong because you used the wrong charge.
 

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