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thursdaytbs
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Two spheres, each having a mass of 50.0 mg, are suspended from a common point by massless threads 50.0 cm long. One of the spheres has been given a charge twice that of the other. The strings make an angle of 6 degrees.
What are the charges on each of the spheres?
What kind of charge is on each sphere (Positive or Negative) ? Explain.
First, I said that the distance between the two spheres is 0.0523m since you can form a right triangle using 0.5m [50cm] as the hypotonose, and 3 degrees as an angle. and multiplying that answer by 2 giving me the distance between the two spheres.
From that I know one sphere = 2q, while the other sphere = q.
So... F = (K)(q)(2q) / (r^2)
From there I'm stuck, since you have two unknowns (charge 'q' and force 'F')
I'm thinking of using F=ma = 0 (a=0), then finding using a Free Body diagram to find the force on each sphere and adding them and setting them to zero?
So sphere 1 and 2's forces = mg, tension, Electric Force (F/q)
where the Forces are equal?
I'm not too sure, can anyone give me any suggestions? Thanks for any help.