Electric Force magnitude and direction

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the magnitude and direction of the electrostatic force on a 6 nC charge in a specific arrangement with two other charges. The equation used is F= k(q1)(q2)/r^2 and the solution involves breaking the equation into F13 and F23, with the top charge labeled as 1 and the bottom as 2. The values for F13 and F23 are given as 2.28E-7 N and 1.52E-7 N respectively, but the direction of the resultant force is still unknown. The conversation mentions using the tangent function to find the angle, but it is unclear which angles to use.
  • #1
trueplaya
1
0

Homework Statement



Three charges are arranged as shown in the picture above. Find the magnitude and direction of the electrostatic force on the 6 nC charge.

The direction I am looking for is the angle that the resultant force makes with the positive x-axis. Do not include units for the angle and make sure you input answers for the angle in degrees.



Homework Equations



F= k(q1)(q2)/r^2



The Attempt at a Solution



I have that you break up the equation into F13 and F23, or so I believe.
I say the top charge is 1 and bottom is 2.
The F13= 2.28E-7 N
The F23= 1.52E-7 N
I'm stuck from this point on, I think you must use tangent function to find angle but I do not know which angles to use. Any help thank you.
 

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  • #2
Welcome to Physics Forums trueplaya.

Can you get the angles for F13 and F23 individually?
 
  • #3


I can provide a response to this content by first acknowledging that the information given is not enough to accurately determine the magnitude and direction of the electrostatic force on the 6 nC charge. In order to calculate the electrostatic force, we would need to know the distance between the charges and the direction of the electric field at the location of the 6 nC charge.

Additionally, the equation provided (F = k(q1)(q2)/r^2) is the equation for the magnitude of the electrostatic force between two point charges. However, in this scenario, there are three charges involved and the distance between them is not given. Therefore, we cannot use this equation to accurately determine the electrostatic force.

Furthermore, the angle mentioned in the question is not clear as it is not specified which angle is being referred to. It is important to provide clear and precise information in order to accurately solve the problem.

In order to accurately determine the magnitude and direction of the electrostatic force on the 6 nC charge, we would need to know the distance between the charges and the direction of the electric field at the location of the 6 nC charge. This information is crucial in order to properly apply the principles of electrostatics and accurately calculate the force. Without this information, it is not possible to provide a valid response.
 

1. What is electric force magnitude and direction?

Electric force magnitude and direction is a measure of the strength and direction of the force between two charged particles.

2. How is electric force magnitude and direction calculated?

Electric force magnitude and direction is calculated using Coulomb's Law, which 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.

3. What factors affect the magnitude and direction of electric force?

The magnitude and direction of electric force is affected by the charges of the particles, the distance between them, and the medium in which they are located.

4. How do positive and negative charges affect the direction of electric force?

Positive and negative charges have opposite effects on the direction of electric force. Like charges repel each other, while opposite charges attract each other.

5. How does distance affect the magnitude of electric force?

The magnitude of electric force decreases as the distance between charged particles increases. This is because the force is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the particles.

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