How Do You Calculate the Mass of a Particle in an Electric Field?

[krony23]

1. Homework Statement
In a laboratory, a particle of charge -6C is held stationary because it is placed in an electric field E=(0,0,-15)N/C which suspends it against gravity. What is the mass of the particle? Give answer in kg.

2. Homework Equations
I THINK
E= F/q
F= ma or F= G m1 m2 / r^2


3. The Attempt at a Solution
Ok, so I haven't actually had a chance to attempt this yet because A) I don't understand the notation of E in this equation, so I don't know if it is acceptable to just use -15 for E, and B) if I even have the right equations to use, I don't know what the acceleration is or how to use the second equation. Please help

 

[kuruman]

The problem states "... which suspends it against gravity." This mens that the particle is not moving. What is its acceleration then? How many forces act on the particle, in what directions do they point and how are their magnitudes related?

Note: Use mg for the force of gravity.

 

[kerimek]

.

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out for help with electric fields. I understand that you are struggling with understanding the notation and equations involved in solving this problem. I will try my best to explain and guide you through the process.

Firstly, let's address the notation of E in this equation. In this case, E represents the electric field vector, which is a measure of the strength and direction of the electric field at a given point. The notation (0,0,-15)N/C means that the electric field is pointing downwards in the z-direction with a magnitude of 15 N/C. This means that if a positive charge were placed in this electric field, it would experience a force of 15 N in the downward direction.

Now, to solve this problem, we can use the equation E = F/q, where E is the electric field, F is the force experienced by the particle, and q is the charge of the particle. Since we are given the electric field and the charge of the particle, we can rearrange this equation to solve for the force experienced by the particle.

F = Eq

Plugging in the values, we get:

F = (0,0,-15)N/C * (-6C) = (0,0,90)N

Since the particle is held stationary, we can assume that the force experienced by the particle is equal to the force of gravity acting on it. So, we can use the equation F = ma to solve for the mass of the particle.

F = mg

m = F/g = (0,0,90)N / 9.8 m/s^2 = (0,0,9.18)kg

Therefore, the mass of the particle is 9.18 kg.

I hope this helps you understand the problem better and guides you in solving it. If you have any further questions or need clarification, please don't hesitate to ask. Good luck!