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Homework Help: Magnitude of the electric force?

  1. Sep 18, 2013 #1

    danish1991

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    Need help calculating a problem, the questions states that. "Three charges are located at the corners of an equilaterial triangle. What is the magnitude of the electrical force on q1? Im really confused with this problem, i been trying to solve this problem and still had no luck ANY HELP WILL BE REALLY APPRECIATED!!
    q1=+2.0uc
    q2=+2.0uc
    q3=+2.0uc
    distance between each 20cm
    Its shaped as an triangle q1 being on top and q2 and q3 being on the corners.
    q1=+2.0uc
    /\
    / \
    / \
    20cm / \20cm
    / \
    / \
    q2=+2.0uc /_______ \q3=+2.0uc
    20cm
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2013
    danish1991, Sep 18, 2013
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  3. Sep 18, 2013 #2

    iRaid

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    Well start with the equation:
    [tex]F=\frac{kq_{1}q_{2}}{r^{2}}[/tex]
    for each of the particles. Add up the vectors in the x and y directions.
     
    iRaid, Sep 18, 2013
  4. Sep 18, 2013 #3

    danish1991

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    How would you determine the number of vectors? Sorry but im really bad at physics
     
    danish1991, Sep 18, 2013
  5. Sep 20, 2013 #4

    tiny-tim

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    sorry, iRaid, but that's really not clear :redface:
    there's only two vectors, one from each of the other two charges

    you need to find the magnitude and direction of those vectors, and then add them as vectors

    do you know how to add vectors?​
     
    tiny-tim, Sep 20, 2013
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