# Homework Help: Magnitude of the electric force?

1. Sep 18, 2013

### danish1991

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
2. Sep 18, 2013

### iRaid

$$F=\frac{kq_{1}q_{2}}{r^{2}}$$
for each of the particles. Add up the vectors in the x and y directions.

3. Sep 18, 2013

### danish1991

How would you determine the number of vectors? Sorry but im really bad at physics

4. Sep 20, 2013

### tiny-tim

sorry, iRaid, but that's really not clear
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?​