What is the electric field at point P with given coordinates?

In summary, the problem involves finding the electric field (magnitude and direction) at point P, which is located at (0,0.40)m, due to two charges: q1 = 7.0μC at the origin and q2 = -5.0μC on the x-axis, 0.30m from the origin. The electric field equation used is E = k_e * (q/r^2). The first step is to find the electric field produced by each charge at point P, then decompose them into x and y components and find the total electric field. It is important to note the units of the charges (μC) and to include units (N/C) when calculating the electric field
  • #1
~christina~
Gold Member
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Homework Statement


A charge [tex]q_1= 7.0\mu C [/tex] is located at the origin, and a second charge [tex]q_2= -5.0 \mu C [/tex]is located on the x-axis, 0.30m from the origin. Find the electric field (maginitude and direction) at the point P, which has the coordinates (0,0.40)m.

Homework Equations


[tex]E = k_e \sum \frac{q} {r_i^2} \hat{r} [/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



well,

[tex]q_1= 7.0 \mu C [/tex]

[tex]q_2= -5.0 \mu C [/tex]

r= 0.30m

y= 0.40m

how would I find the field if I'm given the coordinates of 0, and 0.40 which would mean that If I'm reading that right. then it would mean that it's 0.40m above the charges in the y direction?

Not sure if this picture is correct but I tried to draw the layout of the problem.

Untitled-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
~christina~ said:

Homework Statement


A charge [tex]q_1= 7.0\mu C [/tex] is located at the origin, and a second charge [tex]q_2= -5.0 \mu C [/tex]is located on the x-axis, 0.30m from the origin. Find the electric field (maginitude and direction) at the point P, which has the coordinates (0,0.40)m.

Homework Equations


[tex]E = k_e \sum \frac{q} {r_i^2} \hat{r} [/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



well,

[tex]q_1= 7.0 \mu C [/tex]

[tex]q_2= -5.0 \mu C [/tex]

r= 0.30m

y= 0.40m

how would I find the field if I'm given the coordinates of 0, and 0.40 which would mean that If I'm reading that right. then it would mean that it's 0.40m above the charges in the y direction?

Not sure if this picture is correct but I tried to draw the layout of the problem.

Untitled-1.jpg

yes, it looks like you interpreted the question correctly (although I personally would have thought that q2 would be to the right of q1 but the question is ambiguous about this point).

Find th emagnitude and direction of the Efield produced by each charge at that point, then decompose them into x and y components and find the total Efield.

By the way, I am curious: what software did you use to make this nice drawing?
 
  • #3
nrqed said:
yes, it looks like you interpreted the question correctly (although I personally would have thought that q2 would be to the right of q1 but the question is ambiguous about this point).

Find th emagnitude and direction of the Efield produced by each charge at that point, then decompose them into x and y components and find the total Efield.
I just noticed that I wrote, [tex]q= -4 \mu [/tex] when it's supposed to be [tex]q= -5 \mu [/tex] and I put it on that side since I thought that since it was negative it should be on the left side but thinking about it again it shouldn't really matter since it's a charge I think.

but if the charge is not at an angle but right below the point P would the r be just 0.40m?

[tex]E_1= k_e \frac{|q_1|} {r_1^2}= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7.0 \mu C|} {0.40m^2}= = 3.932 x 10^{11}[/tex]

and

[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5.0\mu C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 3.12x10^{12} [/tex]

(not sure the units of the Electric field either)

for each it woud be

[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5.0\mu C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 3.12x10^{12} cos \hat{i} - 3.12x10^{12} sin \hat{j}[/tex]

and

[tex]E_1= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7.0\mu C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 3.932 x 10^{11} cos \hat{i} + 3.932 x 10^{11} sin \hat{j}[/tex]

not sure how to divide the forces for the first q1 though
[tex]E_x= 3.12x10^{12} cos (45) j + 3.932 x 10^{11} cos (90)j [/tex]

[tex]E_y= 3.12x10^{12} sin (45) j + 3.932 x 10^{11} sin (90)j [/tex]

Is this right?

By the way, I am curious: what software did you use to make this nice drawing?

nice software? => paint :smile: (thus no theta sign)
 
  • #4
~christina~ said:
I just noticed that I wrote, [tex]q= -4 \mu [/tex] when it's supposed to be [tex]q= -5 \mu [/tex] and I put it on that side since I thought that since it was negative it should be on the left side but thinking about it again it shouldn't really matter since it's a charge I think.

but if the charge is not at an angle but right below the point P would the r be just 0.40m?

[tex]E_1= k_e \frac{|q_1|} {r_1^2}= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7.0 \mu C|} {0.40m^2}= = 3.932 x 10^{11}[/tex]

and

[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5.0\mu C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 3.12x10^{12} [/tex]
The charges are in microcoulombs. One microcoulomb is how many coulombs?
(not sure the units of the Electric field either)
You should be able to tell by simply including the units on all the quantities in your equations and simpifying the units.
for each it woud be

[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5.0\mu C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 3.12x10^{12} cos \hat{i} - 3.12x10^{12} sin \hat{j}[/tex]

and

[tex]E_1= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7.0\mu C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 3.932 x 10^{11} cos \hat{i} + 3.932 x 10^{11} sin \hat{j}[/tex]
I guess you forgot to include the angles in the trig functions! If you give the angle with respect to the positive x axis, all the terms should be positive. But some people prefer to use angles defined in a different way (from a different axis) so it varies. I can't tell you if your signs are correct if you don't tell me what are your angles.

What you need to figure out i sthe angle that each of the
not sure how to divide the forces for the first q1 though
[tex]E_x= 3.12x10^{12} cos (45) j + 3.932 x 10^{11} cos (90)j [/tex]

[tex]E_y= 3.12x10^{12} sin (45) j + 3.932 x 10^{11} sin (90)j [/tex]

Is this right?

No. You are mixing components with vectors. A component is NOT a vector so what you wrote does no make sense. You should not have put i and j unit vectors there.


And how did you decide that one of the angles was 45 degrees? This is not the case!
 
  • #5
nrqed said:
The charges are in microcoulombs. One microcoulomb is how many coulombs?

[tex] 1C= 1x10^-6 \mu C [/tex]

You should be able to tell by simply including the units on all the quantities in your equations and simpifying the units.

okay. Is it N/m*C ?

I guess you forgot to include the angles in the trig functions! If you give the angle with respect to the positive x axis, all the terms should be positive. But some people prefer to use angles defined in a different way (from a different axis) so it varies. I can't tell you if your signs are correct if you don't tell me what are your angles.

hm..well to find the angles I guess I have to do trig. (it looked like 45 so I used 45)
so. 0.30^2 + 0.40^2= 0.5 (hypotenuse)
[tex]sin ^{-1}(0.40m / 0.50m)= 53.13^o [/tex]

[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5x10^{-6} C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= -7.19x10^{5} cos(53.13) \hat{i} - (-7.19x10^5) sin (53.13)\hat{j}[/tex]

and

[tex]E_1= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7x10^{-6}C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 2.51x10^5 cos (90)\hat{i} + 2.51x10^5 sin(90) \hat{j} [/tex]


is this right?


No. You are mixing components with vectors. A component is NOT a vector so what you wrote does no make sense. You should not have put i and j unit vectors there.

So it's right if it has no vectors?
 
Last edited:
  • #6
~christina~ said:
[tex] 1C= 1x10^-6 \mu C [/tex]



okay. Is it N/m*C ?



hm..well to find the angles I guess I have to do trig. (it looked like 45 so I used 45)
so. 0.30^2 + 0.40^2= 0.5 (hypotenuse)
[tex]sin ^{-1}(0.40m / 0.50m)= 53.13^o [/tex]

[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5x10^{-6} C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= -7.19x10^{5} cos(53.13) \hat{i} - (-7.19x10^5) sin (53.13)\hat{j}[/tex]
there should only be one minus sign in the second term (the y component of the E field should come out negative, right?)
and

[tex]E_1= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7x10^{-6}C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 2.51x10^5 cos (90)\hat{i} + 2.51x10^5 sin(90) \hat{j} [/tex]
Probably a typo but you need to divide by 0.40^2 only.

I did not check the actual numerical values but it looks good.
 
  • #7
nrqed said:
there should only be one minus sign in the second term (the y component of the E field should come out negative, right?)

[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5x10^{-6} C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= -7.19x10^{5} cos(53.13) \hat{i} - (-7.19x10^5) sin (53.13)\hat{j}[/tex]

Probably a typo but you need to divide by 0.40^2 only.

oh yep I typed that before but it should be only 0.40^2

[tex]E_1= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7x10^{-6}C|} {0.40^2}= 2.51x10^5 sin(90) \hat{j} [/tex]

I did not check the actual numerical values but it looks good.

alright is this fine now? I think I would add them together right?
 
  • #8
~christina~ said:
[tex] 1C= 1x10^-6 \mu C [/tex]



okay. Is it N/m*C ?



hm..well to find the angles I guess I have to do trig. (it looked like 45 so I used 45)
so. 0.30^2 + 0.40^2= 0.5 (hypotenuse)
[tex]sin ^{-1}(0.40m / 0.50m)= 53.13^o [/tex]

[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5x10^{-6} C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= -7.19x10^{5} cos(53.13) \hat{i} - (-7.19x10^5) sin (53.13)\hat{j}[/tex]

and

[tex]E_1= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7x10^{-6}C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 2.51x10^5 cos (90)\hat{i} + 2.51x10^5 sin(90) \hat{j} [/tex]


is this right?




So it's right if it has no vectors?


Looks fine (except that there is still two minus signs in the y component of [tex] \vec{E}_1 [/tex]; there should be only one minus sign).

yes, add up all the x and y components.
 
  • #9
nrqed said:
Looks fine (except that there is still two minus signs in the y component of [tex] \vec{E}_1 [/tex]; there should be only one minus sign).

yes, add up all the x and y components.


[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5x10^{-6} C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= -7.19x10^{5} cos(53.13) \hat{i} + (-7.19x10^5) sin (53.13)\hat{j}[/tex]

I thought you meant E2 but I fixed E1 below...right ? E 1

[tex]E_1= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7x10^{-6}C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= 2.51x10^5 sin(90) \hat{j} [/tex]

and I think I shouldn't have a x component for E1 since it is only directed in the y direction...which is up thus possitive

I'm not sure what you are speaking of unfortunately (if the above is incorrrect)
 
  • #10
Correction from above

[tex]E_2 = 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|-5x10^{-6} C|} {0.30^2+ 0.40^2}= -7.19x10^{5} cos(53.13) \hat{i} + (-7.19x10^5) sin (53.13)\hat{j}[/tex]

I thought you meant E2 but I fixed E1 below...right ? E 1

[tex]E_1= 8.9876x10^9N*m^2/C^2 \frac{|7x10^{-6}C|} {0.40^2}= 2.51x10^5 sin(90) \hat{j} [/tex]

and I think I shouldn't have a x component for E1 since it is only directed in the y direction...which is up thus possitive

I'm not sure what you are speaking of unfortunately (if the above is incorrrect)
 

1. What is an electric field?

An electric field is a physical field that surrounds electrically charged particles and exerts a force on other charged particles within its proximity. It is a fundamental concept in electromagnetism and is measured in units of volts per meter (V/m).

2. How do you calculate the electric field?

The electric field can be calculated using the formula E = kQ/r^2, where E is the electric field, k is Coulomb's constant (9x10^9 Nm^2/C^2), Q is the magnitude of the charge, and r is the distance between the charged particles.

3. What is the difference between an electric field and an electric potential?

An electric field is a physical field that exerts a force on charged particles, while electric potential is the amount of potential energy per unit charge at a certain point in the field. In simple terms, the electric field is responsible for the force, while the electric potential is responsible for the energy.

4. How does the direction of the electric field relate to the direction of the force on a charged particle?

The direction of the electric field is the direction that a positive test charge would move when placed in the field. The direction of the force on a charged particle is the same as the direction of the electric field at that point, for a positive charge. For a negative charge, the direction of the force is opposite to the direction of the electric field.

5. What are some real-life applications of electric fields?

Electric fields have numerous real-life applications, including powering electronic devices, creating static electricity, and controlling the movement of particles in medical procedures. They are also used in telecommunication systems, lightning rods, and electric motors.

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