Help on Question: Find Force of 2 Charged Spheres in Electric Field

  • Thread starter KaneOris
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In summary, the conversation discusses placing two small charged spheres into an electric field with a downward direction and a strength of 5000 N C^-1. The question is posed about determining the force experienced by the two charges, which have values of +2*10^-6 and -5*10^-6. The conversation also mentions difficulties with using latex and attempting to solve the problem using the equation F=k q_1 q_2/r^2 without knowing the distance and uncertainty about incorporating the downward force into the equation.
  • #1
KaneOris
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Heres the thing

Say i was to place 2 small charged spheres into and electric field which points downwards with a strength of 5000 [tex] N C^-1 [/tex]
Can anyone firgure out the force expirienced if the two charges were
+[tex]2*10^-6[/tex] and -[tex]5*10^-6[/tex]?
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
This Latex thing doesn't work to well...
 
  • #3
This belongs in the homework section.

And, yes, a lot of people can figure it out! The question is what have you tried so far?
 
  • #4
Um, who said this was homework, practical expiriment perhaps?
 
  • #5
Sorry, for sounding like that anyway...

I tried using [tex]\frac{F=k q_1 q_2}{r^2}[/tex]

But without the distance i had no idea
and i also don't know how i should put the downwards force into the equation, should i use a vector?
 
Last edited:

1. What is the formula for finding the force between two charged spheres in an electric field?

The formula for finding the force between two charged spheres in an electric field is F = (k * Q1 * Q2)/r^2, where k is the Coulomb's constant (8.99 x 10^9 N*m^2/C^2), Q1 and Q2 are the charges of the two spheres, and r is the distance between them.

2. How do I determine the direction of the force between two charged spheres in an electric field?

The direction of the force between two charged spheres in an electric field is determined by the nature of the charges. Like charges (both positive or both negative) will repel each other, while opposite charges (one positive and one negative) will attract each other.

3. Can the distance between the two charged spheres affect the force between them?

Yes, the distance between the two charged spheres can affect the force between them. As the distance increases, the force decreases as per the inverse square law (F = 1/r^2). This means that the force is directly proportional to the distance squared. As the distance decreases, the force increases.

4. How do I calculate the force between two charged spheres if one of the charges is unknown?

If one of the charges is unknown, you can use the electric field strength at a point between the two spheres to find the force. The formula for electric field strength is E = (k * Q)/r^2, where E is the electric field strength, k is the Coulomb's constant, Q is the charge of the sphere, and r is the distance between the sphere and the point where the electric field strength is being measured. Once you have the electric field strength, you can use it in the formula F = Q * E to find the force.

5. How does the presence of other charges in the electric field affect the force between two charged spheres?

The presence of other charges in the electric field can affect the force between two charged spheres. If there are multiple charges in the electric field, the force between the two spheres will be the vector sum of the forces between each pair of charges. This means that the overall force between the two spheres will depend on the magnitude and direction of each individual force between the charges in the electric field.

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