Strength of electrostatic force

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the strength of the electrostatic force on a point charge located at the corner of an equilateral triangle, given the positions and magnitudes of other charges. The context is within electrostatics, specifically using Coulomb's law.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to calculate the forces exerted by two other charges on the top charge using Coulomb's law but expresses uncertainty about the next steps after calculating individual forces.
  • Some participants suggest performing vector analysis to break the forces into components, while others seek clarification on how to conduct this analysis.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different approaches to the problem. Some guidance on vector analysis has been suggested, but there is no consensus on how to proceed further.

Contextual Notes

There is a request for a diagram to aid in understanding the problem setup, indicating that visual representation may be crucial for the discussion.

bastige
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Homework Statement


Three point charges are located at the corner of an equilateral triangle. The Coulomb constant is 8.98755 X 109 N*m2 / C2
What is the strength of the electrostatic force on the top charge? Answer in units of N.

Length of each side is .19m

Photo: http://rs300l32.rapidshare.com/files/102321145/876fa4a066b34fc617aee82211671f78.jpg


Homework Equations



F= [k(q1)(q2)] / r^2

The Attempt at a Solution



I know I must get F1 & F2, but then I don't know what to do

F1=[k(2.68E-6)(1.32E-6)] / .19^2 = .880730107

F2= [k(2.68E-6)(-3.93E-6)] / .19^2



I
 
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can you please upload the diagram to imageshack.us?
 
Vector analysis. Break the force into its components.
 

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