Where am I going wrong with this vector addition?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on confusion regarding vector addition in the context of forces from electric charges. The user is calculating the sum of two force vectors, F13 and F23, but arrives at a negative result, while the book states a positive value. The specific values mentioned are F13 as -1.35*10^-3 j and F23 as 9.67*10^-4 j, leading to a discrepancy in the final result. There is speculation that a typographical error in the book may have contributed to the misunderstanding, particularly regarding the placement of the negative sign. Clarification on vector addition principles and potential errors in the book's answer is sought.
guyvsdcsniper
Messages
264
Reaction score
37
Homework Statement
Three charged particles with q1 = -50 nC, q2 = +50 nC, and q3 = +30 nC are placed on the corners of the 5.0 cm X 10.0 cm rectangle shown in Figure 22.18lkl. What is the net force on charge q3 due to the other two charges? Give your answer both in component form and as a
magnitude and direction
Relevant Equations
F=kq1q2/r^2
I am following along with an example in my book regarding force from an electric charge. I understand the process but I believe I am getting something wrong when it comes to adding the vectors.

Essentially, F13 is equal to -1.35*10^-3 j and when I add that to the j component of F23 which is 9.67*10^-4 J I am getting -3.84*10^-4. The book is giving positive 3.84*10^-4. I have highlighted the values in the PDF attached. Could someone help me understand why it would be positive?
 

Attachments

Physics news on Phys.org
Clearly a typo in the given answer.
Maybe the minus sign on the i coefficient was supposed to be outside the parentheses.
 
  • Like
Likes Steve4Physics
Kindly see the attached pdf. My attempt to solve it, is in it. I'm wondering if my solution is right. My idea is this: At any point of time, the ball may be assumed to be at an incline which is at an angle of θ(kindly see both the pics in the pdf file). The value of θ will continuously change and so will the value of friction. I'm not able to figure out, why my solution is wrong, if it is wrong .
Thread 'Trying to understand the logic behind adding vectors with an angle between them'
My initial calculation was to subtract V1 from V2 to show that from the perspective of the second aircraft the first one is -300km/h. So i checked with ChatGPT and it said I cant just subtract them because I have an angle between them. So I dont understand the reasoning of it. Like why should a velocity be dependent on an angle? I was thinking about how it would look like if the planes where parallel to each other, and then how it look like if one is turning away and I dont see it. Since...
Thread 'Correct statement about a reservoir with an outlet pipe'
The answer to this question is statements (ii) and (iv) are correct. (i) This is FALSE because the speed of water in the tap is greater than speed at the water surface (ii) I don't even understand this statement. What does the "seal" part have to do with water flowing out? Won't the water still flow out through the tap until the tank is empty whether the reservoir is sealed or not? (iii) In my opinion, this statement would be correct. Increasing the gravitational potential energy of the...
Back
Top