Three point charges have equal magnitudes, two being positive and one negative.
ID: 1916264 • Letter: T
Question
Three point charges have equal magnitudes, two being positive and one negative. These charges are fixed to the corners of an equilateral triangle. The magnitude of each of the charges is 5.0 microC and the lengths are 3.0 cm. Calculate the magnitude of net force that each charge experiences. Note: positive charges are located at top and bottom right hand corners of the triangle, negative at bottom left.Explanation / Answer
The magnitude of the electrostatic force between two charge : F = kQ1*q2/r^2 ---> Q1 = Q2 =Q = k Q^2/r^2 = 9 x 10^9 * (5 x 10^-6)^2/9 x 10^-4 =250 N The force experienced positive charge : Ftatal = v(F^2 + F^2 + 2F^2 * cos ?) -----> ? =120^ o = 250 N The force experienced negative charge : Ftotal = sqrt(F^2 + F^2 + 2F^2 * cos ?) -----> ? = 60^ o = 433 N