Find the charge on a piece of dust

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a small piece of dust with a given mass traveling through an electric field, where the electric force acting on it is stated to be equal to its weight. The objective is to determine the charge on the dust particle and the corresponding number of excess electrons.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between mass and force, questioning the original poster's interpretation of the problem statement. There is an emphasis on identifying the forces acting on the dust particle and understanding the fundamental concepts involved.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing guidance on clarifying the concepts of force and mass. There is a focus on establishing a correct understanding of the forces involved before proceeding with the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants note a potential misunderstanding of the relationship between mass and force, suggesting that the original poster may need to reconsider their assumptions about the problem setup.

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Homework Statement



A small piece of dust of mass m = 1.6 g travels horizontally through an electric air cleaner in which the electric field is 511 N/C. The electric force on the particle is equal to the weight of the particle.
What is the charge on the dust particle?
If this charge is provided by an excess of electrons, how many electrons does that correspond to?

Homework Equations



I know i have to solve for q and that my mass is the same as my force..but i have no idea where to even start. any help is appreciated!

The Attempt at a Solution

 
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Mass is not force.

Two forces involved here. Name them and compare their magnitudes (sizes).
 
well the reason why i think the mass and force are equal is because it said so in the problem.
 
No it did not.

Read it again. You seem to be making a fundamental error in a specific concept.
 
is there any way you can help me set it up? if i can get a beginning equation down i can do the rest of it.
 
Look at my first reply and answer the questions I asked.

I'll repeat, there are two forces involved (mass is still not a force; here on earth, what do you multiply mass with to get a force, and what is that force commonly known as?)
 

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