consider three charges: +Q, -Q, q
where the center charge is equidistnat from the other two. assum that the two Qs cannot move. you also want to charge q to be at rest. if q=-8.0 nC, find Q+
You don't have to solve it but can you lead me in the right direction to solve the problem. i know i have to use the formula: f=kQ1Q2/r^2 (coulomb)
But can you just give me steps on how to do it.
As I understand your question, there is no solution. q is +, so will be repelled by +Q, but attracted by -Q. Because -Q is nearer, the force of attraction will be always greater than the force of attraction from the further +Q.
Certainly! To find the value of Q+ in this scenario, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: Understand the problem:
In this scenario, we have three charges: +Q, -Q, and q. The center charge (q) is equidistant from the other two charges. The objective is to find the value of Q+ when the charge q is at rest and has a value of -8.0 nC.
Step 2: Identify the relevant formula:
As you correctly mentioned, you can use Coulomb's Law to solve this problem. The formula is:
F = k * |Q1 * Q2| / r^2
Step 3: Analyze the forces:
To find the value of Q+, we need to consider the forces acting on the charge q. The force due to the +Q charge will be repulsive, while the force due to the -Q charge will be attractive.
Step 4: Equate the forces:
Since we want the charge q to be at rest, the net force acting on it should be zero. Therefore, we can equate the magnitudes of the forces from the +Q and -Q charges. This gives us:
k * |Q+ * (-8.0 nC)| / r^2 = k * |(-Q) * (-8.0 nC)| / r^2
Step 5: Simplify the equation:
By canceling out common terms, the equation becomes:
|Q+| = |-Q|
Step 6: Solve for Q+:
Since we only need the magnitude of Q+, we can conclude that Q+ = |-Q|. Therefore, the value of Q+ will be equal to the magnitude of the -Q charge.
Following these steps should guide you towards finding the value of Q+ in the given scenario.