Coulomb's Law and net electric field

In summary, the conversation discusses the calculation of the net electric field produced by two point charges, q1 = -5.60 nC and q2 = -14.0 nC, separated by 25.0 cm. The net electric field at point A is 10360 N/C to the right and at point B is 6068.6 N/C to the right. The conversation also mentions finding the magnitude and direction of the electric force on a proton at point A, which is not provided but can be easily calculated using the units of Newtons per Coulomb.
  • #1
yb1013
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Homework Statement



Two point charges q1 = -5.60 nC, and q2 = -14.0 nC are separated by 25.0 cm (see figure below).

http://www.webassign.net/yf12/21-p-031-alt.gif

(a) Find the net electric field these charges produce at point A
magnitude 10360 N/C
direction is to the right

(b) Find the net electric field these charges produce at point B.
magnitude 6068.6 N/C
direction is to the right

(c) What would be the magnitude and direction of the electric force this combination of charges would produce on a proton at A?
magnitude ______ N
direction is to the right


The Attempt at a Solution


Okay well you can see that I figured out all of the answers except for the last magnitude, it seems to be really easy but I think I am just doing something little wrong, not sure.
Can someone please help with what I have to do?
Thank you!
 
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  • #2
There is a strong hint in the units of the electric field you calculated: Newtons per Coulomb.
 
  • #3
I'm still not quite sure where you're going with that. I tried a couple things but I ended with the wrong answer..
 
  • #4
What did you try?
 

FAQ: Coulomb's Law and net electric field

What is Coulomb's Law?

Coulomb's Law is a fundamental law of electrostatics that describes the relationship between the magnitude of the electric force between two charged objects and the distance between them. It states that the force is directly proportional to the product of the two charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

How is Coulomb's Law related to net electric field?

Coulomb's Law is used to calculate the magnitude of the electric force between two charged objects. The net electric field is a measure of the strength and direction of the electric field at a given point, which is influenced by the electric forces exerted by all nearby charged objects. Therefore, Coulomb's Law is essential in determining the net electric field at a particular point.

What is the formula for Coulomb's Law?

The formula for Coulomb's Law is F = k(q1q2)/r2, where F is the electric force, k is the proportionality constant (8.99 x 109 Nm2/C2), q1 and q2 are the charges of the two objects, and r is the distance between them.

How does distance affect the electric force according to Coulomb's Law?

According to Coulomb's Law, the electric force between two charged objects is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This means that as the distance between the objects increases, the electric force decreases, and vice versa.

Can Coulomb's Law be applied to point charges only?

No, Coulomb's Law can be applied to any two charged objects, regardless of their size or shape. However, it is most commonly used to calculate the electric force between point charges, which are objects with negligible size and all of their charge concentrated at a single point.

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