Net Electric Field: Find Magnitude Midway Between 2 Particles

AI Thread Summary
To find the net electric field midway between two charged particles, one must apply the principle of superposition, which states that the total electric field is the vector sum of the fields from each charge. The first charge, -1.23 x 10^-7 C, creates an electric field directed towards itself, while the second charge, +1.23 x 10^-7 C, produces an electric field directed away from itself. The calculations using E=kQ/r^2 for each charge need to be correctly combined to determine the net electric field. The initial attempts yielded incorrect results likely due to not properly accounting for the direction of the fields or the correct application of the superposition principle. Understanding these concepts is crucial for accurately solving electric field problems.
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Homework Statement


Two particles are fixed to an x axis: particle 1 of charge -1.23 x 10-7 C is at the origin and particle 2 of charge +1.23 x 10-7 C is at x = 15.5 cm. Midway between the particles, what is the magnitude of the net electric field?


Homework Equations


E=kQ/r^2 and/ or E=2kQ/r^2


The Attempt at a Solution


I used the first equation and I got 3.68e5 N/C then I used the second equation because there are two charges and I got 3.93e5 N/C. Both of these answers were marked wrong and I don't know why. Any help? Thanks.
 
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well your halfway there if you did the math right on both of those. a major concepts of electrodynamics is the rule of superposition, which states that the electric fields at any point is the sum of all the electric fields due to each electric charge effecting your system.
 

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