Test Tommorrow, Electric Fields

In summary, the electric field for a point in the center of a square is +45microC on one corner and -27microC on the other three.
  • #1
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Homework Statement


Find the electric field for a point in the center of a square, +45microC on one corner and -27microC on the other 3


Homework Equations


E = (kQ1)/r2


The Attempt at a Solution



I know how to do the Electric field equations in a straight line, but for a square I'm not sure how to set it up. Also is the electric field always negative? Apparently it is in the direction of the force, but to find the force one must understand that the field repels negative charges and attracts positive, so I'm assuming it is negative.
 
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  • #2
Field lines point away from positive charges, towards negative ones. So the field here will have a direction. When you were working with two charges on a straight line, you called it positive or negative and defined it as towards or away from something. Now it is a vector. Try drawing your square and drawing line segments from the center to the corners. How long are those line segments?
 
  • #3
the test charge is assumed to be positive so its actually attracted to negative charges and repelled from positive charges. At least that is what my book says and what I learned. And do you have the length for one side of the square or I guess you can just make up a value? Because to find the distance from the center to one of the corners you can find the diagonal of the square and than divide by 2. Then find the electric field created by each point with the equation. Break everything down into components, combine, then use Pythagorean theorem to find the resultant electric field strength vector. That's the most I remember
 
  • #4
.525
 
  • #5
So the distance from the center to each corner is .371. I found the diagonal then divided by 2.

***Please help with my mutual inductance question!
 
  • #6
So I found the electrical field for each of the four corners:

2.94 x 106C for the 45microC charge and then

1.77 x 106C for the 27microC charges

Now what do I do... I don't understand what the hell and electric field even is so I'm not sure what the directions are. And the answer is supposed to be 4.7x106C, so I'm not going to get that no matter what I do with those answers. /Frustration
 
  • #7
what corner has the 45 micro charge.
 
  • #8
Wait actually the answer is correct if I just take the 2.94 and the 1.77 and add them together, then the other two diagonals cancel because they are of the same magnitude. Thanks for the help peoples, I live to fight another day of honors physics...
 

1. What is an electric field?

An electric field is a region in which charged particles experience a force due to the presence of other charged particles. It is a fundamental concept in physics and is measured in units of volts per meter (V/m).

2. How is an electric field created?

An electric field is created when a charged object, such as a positive or negative charge, is placed in a space. The electric field is then produced by the interaction between the charged object and other charged particles in the surrounding space.

3. What is the relationship between electric fields and electric potential?

Electric potential is a measure of the potential energy per unit charge in an electric field. The strength of the electric field is directly related to the electric potential, with a stronger field resulting in a higher potential.

4. How does the direction of an electric field affect charged particles?

The direction of an electric field determines the direction in which charged particles will move. Positively charged particles will move in the direction of the electric field, while negatively charged particles will move in the opposite direction.

5. How is an electric field measured?

An electric field can be measured using a device called an electric field meter, which measures the strength and direction of the electric field at a specific point. The unit of measurement for electric field is volts per meter (V/m).

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