Finding net forces when 3 charged objects are involved

In summary, the conversation discusses the calculation of the net force on three charges arranged in an equilateral triangle. The x components of forces AB and AC cancel each other out, while the y components add together to equal 83.8N. This means that the net force acting on each of the three charges is 83.8N. It is also mentioned that to find the net force on any of the charges, one must add up the individual forces acting on that charge.
  • #1
EdTheHead
25
0
I'm having trouble understanding these kinda questions. I'm assuming this kinda thing applies to all types of force when there's 3 objects exerting the force so its fairly important to know. Let's say I have 3 charges of 11x10-6C that make up an equilateral triangle.
[PLAIN]http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/8784/chargex.jpg
I've calculated the force of repulsion between 2 of these charges and its 48.4N. I don't really know what to do from here on. I can see that the x components of forces AB and AC cancel each other out and their y components add to 83.8N. Does that mean the net force acting on each of these 3 charges is 83.8N?

Also when it comes to things like these is it just a matter of knowing the x and y components involved then using them to get the resultant?
 
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  • #2
EdTheHead said:
I've calculated the force of repulsion between 2 of these charges and its 48.4N.
OK. (I'll take your word for it.)
I don't really know what to do from here on. I can see that the x components of forces AB and AC cancel each other out and their y components add to 83.8N. Does that mean the net force acting on each of these 3 charges is 83.8N?
Yes.

Also when it comes to things like these is it just a matter of knowing the x and y components involved then using them to get the resultant?
To find the net force on any of the charges, just find the individual forces acting on that charge (due to the other charges) and add them up to find the resultant. How you find the resultant is up to you. (There are several ways to add vectors.) What you did was perfect.
 

What is a net force?

A net force is the overall force acting on an object, taking into account the magnitude and direction of all individual forces acting on the object.

How do you find the net force when 3 charged objects are involved?

To find the net force in this scenario, you must first calculate the individual forces between each pair of charged objects using Coulomb's Law. Then, you can use vector addition to find the sum of these forces, which will give you the net force.

What factors affect the net force in this situation?

The net force is affected by the magnitude and direction of the individual forces between the charged objects, as well as the distance between the objects and the charge of each object.

Can the net force ever be zero?

Yes, it is possible for the net force to be zero when 3 charged objects are involved. This would occur if the individual forces between the objects cancel each other out due to their magnitudes and directions.

How is the direction of the net force determined?

The direction of the net force is determined by the vector sum of the individual forces. If the sum is in a positive direction, the net force will also be in that direction. If the sum is in a negative direction, the net force will be in the opposite direction.

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