Finding Electric Field at point P

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DrunkApple
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Homework Statement


Two charges are located in the (x, y) plane as
shown. The fields produced by these charges
are observed at a point p with coordinates
(0, 0). Find the x-component of the electric field
at p. The value of the Coulomb constant is
8.98755 × 109 N · m[itex]^{2}[/itex]/C[itex]^{2}[/itex].
Answer in units of N/C


Homework Equations


k[itex]_{c}[/itex] = 8.98755E9
cos θ[itex]_{12}[/itex] = [itex]\frac{1.7}{sqrt(8.65)}[/itex]
cos θ[itex]_{13}[/itex] = [itex]\frac{1.6}{sqrt(8.32)}[/itex]
q[itex]_{2}[/itex] = -8.1 C
q[itex]_{3}[/itex] = 7.9 C
r[itex]_{12}[/itex] = [itex]sqrt(8.65)[/itex]
r[itex]_{13}[/itex] = [itex]sqrt(8.32)[/itex]

The Attempt at a Solution


E[itex]_{x}[/itex] = -(k[itex]_{c}[/itex]|q[itex]_{2}[/itex]|cos θ[itex]_{12})/r_{12}^{2}[/itex] - (k[itex]_{c}[/itex]|q[itex]_{3}[/itex]|cos θ[itex]_{13}[/itex])/r[itex]_{13}[/itex][itex]^{2}[/itex]

= -k[itex]_{c}[/itex]([itex]\frac{8.1}{8.65}[/itex] * [itex]\frac{1.7}{sqrt(8.65)}[/itex] + [itex]\frac{7.9}{8.32}[/itex] * [itex]\frac{1.6}{sqrt(8.32)}[/itex])

is this the right way to do it?
 
Attachments
  • Diagram of two point charges and a point P on a vertical line: a charge of -8.1 C at the left and 7.9 C at the right, each 2.4 m horizontally from the line; P is 1.7 m above the left charge's level and 1.6 m above the right charge's level.
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Last edited:
DrunkApple said:

Homework Statement


Two charges are located in the (x, y) plane as shown. The fields produced by these charges are observed at a point p with coordinates (0, 0). Find the x-component of the electric field at p. The value of the Coulomb constant is 8.98755 × 109 N · m[itex]^{2}[/itex]/C[itex]^{2}[/itex].
Answer in units of N/C

Homework Equations


k[itex]_{c}[/itex] = 8.98755E9
cos θ[itex]_{12}[/itex] = [itex]\frac{1.7}{sqrt(8.65)}[/itex]
cos θ[itex]_{13}[/itex] = [itex]\frac{1.6}{sqrt(8.32)}[/itex]
q[itex]_{2}[/itex] = -8.1 C
q[itex]_{3}[/itex] = 7.9 C
r[itex]_{12}[/itex] = [itex]sqrt(8.65)[/itex]
r[itex]_{13}[/itex] = [itex]sqrt(8.32)[/itex]

The Attempt at a Solution


E[itex]_{x}[/itex] = -(k[itex]_{c}[/itex]|q[itex]_{2}[/itex]|cos θ[itex]_{12})/r_{12}^{2}[/itex] - (k[itex]_{c}[/itex]|q[itex]_{3}[/itex]|cos θ[itex]_{13}[/itex])/r[itex]_{13}[/itex][itex]^{2}[/itex]

= -k[itex]_{c}[/itex]([itex]\frac{8.1}{8.65}[/itex] * [itex]\frac{1.7}{sqrt(8.65)}[/itex] + [itex]\frac{7.9}{8.32}[/itex] * [itex]\frac{1.6}{sqrt(8.32)}[/itex])

is this the right way to do it?
Diagram of two point charges, -8.1 C on the left and 7.9 C on the right, each drawn at a horizontal distance of 2.4 m from a vertical line, with point P marked above the line and vertical distances of 1.7 m and 1.6 m from P to each charge.


Not quite alright.

Where are the angles, θ12 , θ13 ?