What Went Wrong with My Calculation for Problem 14?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mustang
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Coulomb's law Law
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on two physics problems involving electric fields and forces. For Problem 11, the calculation of the electric field between two charges involves using Coulomb's law, with the final result being 4698 N/C after determining the contributions from both charges. In Problem 14, the user seeks to calculate the electric force on an electron using the formula F=ma, but encounters an error in their calculation, leading to confusion about the correct answer. The correct approach for Problem 14 includes substituting the electron's mass and acceleration into the formula, followed by using the relationship between force and electric field strength. The discussion highlights the importance of careful calculations and the correct application of physics formulas.
mustang
Messages
169
Reaction score
0
Problem 11.
Find the magnitude electric field at a point midway between two charges of 34.4*10^9 C and 78.6*10^-9 C separated by a distance of 58.2 cm. Answer in N/C.
Note: Do i use coulomb's law? If so, when i multiply the constant to the quiotent is that my answer?

Problem 14.
An electron moving through an electric field experiences an acceleration of 6*10^3m/S^2.
a. Find the magnitude of the electric force acting on the electron. Answer in N.
Note: Do i use F=mass*acceleration?
b. What is the magnitude of the electric field strength? Answer in N/C.
What formula do I use?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
E=qF will help u
F=ma will do
 


Originally posted by mustang
Problem 11.
Find the magnitude electric field at a point midway between two charges of 34.4*10^-9 C and 78.6*10^-9 C separated by a distance of 58.2 cm. Answer in N/C.
Note: Do i use coulomb's law? If so, when i multiply the constant to the quiotent is that my answer?
Find the field from 1 then the field from the other then subtract.

field from first charge:
F = \frac{k q_1 q_2}{d^2}

One of the charges isn't there so just divide it out.
\frac{F}{q_1} = \frac{k q_2}{d^2}

\frac{F}{q_1} = \frac{(9x10^9)(34.4x10^-^9)}{0.291^2}

\frac{F}{q_1} = 3656 N/C

field from second charge:
\frac{F}{q_1} = \frac{k q_2}{d^2}

\frac{F}{q_1} = \frac{(9x10^9)(78.6x10^-^9)}{0.291^2}

\frac{F}{q_1} = 8354 N/C

field at that point:
8354 - 3656 = 4698 N/C




Problem 14.
An electron moving through an electric field experiences an acceleration of 6*10^3m/S^2.
a. Find the magnitude of the electric force acting on the electron. Answer in N.
Note: Do i use F=mass*acceleration?
b. What is the magnitude of the electric field strength? Answer in N/C.
What formula do I use?

For question A:
You know the formula F = ma. You know the mass of an electron and its rate of acceleration. Sub into find the force.

For question B:
The force is given by the field strength x charge. For field I'll just put L since I don't know what it should be.
F = Lq
L = F/q

You solved the force in part A and you know the charge of an electron.
 
Last edited:
Sorry

I rechecked and for problem 11 it was 34.4*10^-9C.
 
so the answer will be 4698 * 10^-9
 
Question for problem 14.

I had a=6*10^3 and m=9.109*10^-31. I subsituted those values for ma in F=ma and got 5.4654*10^-27. When i posted the answer I got it wrong. What did I do wrong?
 
I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'
Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
Back
Top