Electric force, tension, charge

In summary, the conversation discusses two plastic balls with a mass of 0.65 g and a charge of magnitude q, which are attracted to each other and have threads attached at an angle of 20.0° with the vertical. The solution is provided for finding the magnitude of the electric force acting on each ball and the tension in each thread. The conversation also mentions finding the magnitude of the charge on the balls, with a formula given but an incorrect answer due to a mistake in the calculations. The correct answer for part (c) is not provided.
  • #1
ajmCane22
33
0

Homework Statement



Two small plastic balls hang from threads of negligible mass. Each ball has a mass of 0.65 g and a charge of magnitude q. The balls are attracted to each other, and the threads attached to the balls make an angle of 20.0° with the vertical, as shown in the figure below.

http://www.webassign.net/walker/19-36.gif

(a) Find the magnitude of the electric force acting on each ball.

(b) Find the tension in each of the threads.

(c) Find the magnitude of the charge on the balls.


The Attempt at a Solution



I found part (a) 0.00232 N and part (b) 0.00679 N, but I can't seem to figure out part (c)
I used q = sqrt[ (r^2*Ft*sin 20 )/ k ] = 1.93e-8
That answer is not right. Is my formula incorrect? Please help
 
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  • #2
I think the equation looks right. I got a completely different answer using it though. I suspect you have made an arithmetic error. Check your calculations.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
I was using the electric force instead of the tension! Silly mistake. Thank you
 

Related to Electric force, tension, charge

What is electric force?

Electric force is a fundamental force that exists between charged particles. It can be attractive or repulsive, depending on the types and amounts of charge present.

How is electric force calculated?

Electric force is calculated using Coulomb's law, which states that the force between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

What is tension in relation to electric force?

Tension is the force exerted by a string, cable, or other object that is pulled taut. In the context of electric force, tension refers to the force exerted by an electrically charged object on a string or cable due to the repulsion or attraction of other charged objects.

What is charge?

Charge is a fundamental property of matter that describes the amount of electric force a particle possesses. It can be either positive or negative, and like charges repel each other while opposite charges attract.

How is charge measured?

Charge is measured in units of coulombs (C). One coulomb is equivalent to the charge of approximately 6.24 x 10^18 electrons. The charge of an object can be measured using an instrument called an electroscope or by using coulomb's law to calculate the charge of a particle.

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