A charge of +2uC is placed at one end of a meter stick, a charge of -2uC is placed at the other end.
Calculate the electric field strength at the 50 cm mark
To calculate the electric field strength at the 50 cm mark on the meter stick, you need to use the superposition principle. The superposition principle states that the electric field created by multiple charges is the vector sum of the electric fields created by each individual charge.
Let's break down the process step by step:
1. Convert the given charge values to coulombs:
The charge at one end of the meter stick is +2 μC (microcoulomb), while at the other end it is -2 μC. Since 1 μC is equal to 10^-6 C (coulombs), the given charges will be +2 x 10^-6 C and -2 x 10^-6 C, respectively.
2. Determine the distance between the charge and the 50 cm mark:
Since the meter stick is 100 cm long, the distance from each end to the 50 cm mark is 50 cm.
3. Calculate the electric field strength at the 50 cm mark due to the positive charge:
The electric field at a point due to a point charge is given by the equation: E = k * (Q / r^2),
where E is the electric field, k is the electrostatic constant (k ≈ 9 x 10^9 Nm^2/C^2), Q is the charge, and r is the distance.
Plugging in the values, we have:
E+ = k * (2 x 10^-6 C) / (0.5 m)^2
4. Calculate the electric field strength at the 50 cm mark due to the negative charge:
Similarly, we calculate the electric field for the negative charge:
E- = k * (-2 x 10^-6 C) / (0.5 m)^2
5. Find the net electric field strength at the 50 cm mark:
Since the electric field is a vector quantity, the net electric field at the 50 cm mark is the vector sum of E+ and E-:
E_net = E+ + E-
By performing the calculations, you will obtain the value of the electric field strength at the 50 cm mark.