Electric Force Calculations Quiz

Charge Positions and Values

• A -5 Coulomb charge is located at position 2 on the x-axis.
• A 3 Coulomb charge is situated at position 4.
• A 1 Coulomb charge is positioned at 6.

Calculation of Forces

• The force between two charges can be determined using Coulomb's Law: ( F = k \cdot \frac{|q_1 \cdot q_2|}{r^2} ), where ( k ) is Coulomb's constant, ( q_1 ) and ( q_2 ) are the charges, and ( r ) is the distance between the charges.
• The net force on the 1 Coulomb charge at position 6 results from the interactions with the -5 Coulomb and 3 Coulomb charges.

Force from -5 Coulomb Charge

• Distance between the -5 Coulomb charge (position 2) and the 1 Coulomb charge (position 6) is 4 units.
• The force exerted by the -5 Coulomb charge is attractive, pulling the 1 Coulomb charge towards itself.

Force from 3 Coulomb Charge

• Distance between the 3 Coulomb charge (position 4) and the 1 Coulomb charge (position 6) is 2 units.
• The force exerted by the 3 Coulomb charge is repulsive, pushing the 1 Coulomb charge away.

Net Force Determination

• Calculate the magnitudes of the forces from both charges.
• The resultant net force on the 1 Coulomb charge is the vector sum of the attractive force from the -5 Coulomb charge and the repulsive force from the 3 Coulomb charge.

Direction of Net Force

• If the attractive force from -5 Coulomb exceeds the repulsive force from 3 Coulomb, the net force will be directed towards the left (toward position 2).
• If the repulsive force from the 3 Coulomb charge exceeds the attractive force from the -5 Coulomb charge, the net force will be directed towards the right (toward position 8).

Additional Considerations

• Always account for signs of the charges when analyzing the direction of forces.
• The distances between charges play a crucial role in determining the magnitude of the force according to the inverse square law in Coulomb's Law.

Overall Conclusion

• Identifying the contributions of each charge to the net force on the 1 Coulomb charge and determining the resultant direction is essential for understanding the behavior of electric forces in this configuration.

Test your knowledge on calculating net forces due to electric charges with this quiz. You will encounter various scenarios involving point charges and will need to determine both the magnitude and direction of the resulting force. Perfect for students studying electromagnetism concepts.