Two charges of +10 – 6 C are located 1 cm apart. (a) What is the force on a charge +10 – 8 C halfway between them? (b) What is the force on a charge of –10 – 8 C at the same place?
Answers
Answer:
In both cases the net force is zero because the third charge is exactly in the middle between 2 equal charges. In part (a), the 10-8 C charge is repelled equally to the right and left by the 2 positive charges, so the net force is zero. In part (b), the -10-8 C charge is attracted equally to the left and the right by the 2 positive charges, so the net force is zero. You can compute the net force in both cases using Coulomb's law and see that you get zero.
Concept Introduction: Charges follow the Coulomb's Law of Force.
Explanation:
We have been Given: Two charges of +10 – 6 C are located 1 cm apart.
We have to Find: (a) What is the force on a charge +10 – 8 C halfway between them? (b) What is the force on a charge of –10 – 8 C at the same place?
In both cases the net force is zero because the third charge is exactly in the middle between 2 equal charges. In part (a), the 10-8 C charge is repelled equally to the right and left by the 2 positive charges, so the net force is zero. In part (b), the -10-8 C charge is attracted equally to the left and the right by the 2 positive charges, so the net force is zero. You can compute the net force in both cases using Coulomb's law and see that you get zero.
Final Answer: In both cases the net force is zero because the third charge is exactly in the middle between 2 equal charges. In part (a), the 10-8 C charge is repelled equally to the right and left by the 2 positive charges, so the net force is zero. In part (b), the -10-8 C charge is attracted equally to the left and the right by the 2 positive charges, so the net force is zero. You can compute the net force in both cases using Coulomb's law and see that you get zero.
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