How Does Charge Affect Motion and Force in Physics Problems?

You'll need to show some work before we can help you. Thanks, and welcome to the PF!In summary, the conversation discusses how uniform acceleration can be achieved with moving charged objects and how to find the angle between a suspended charged sphere and a vertical pole using Coulomb's law. It also mentions the importance of constant distance and creating a uniform electric field in achieving uniform acceleration. It is suggested to use a free body diagram to solve the second question and to post homework or coursework questions in the appropriate forum.
  • #1
streetmeat
8
0
If a charged object experiences say, an attractive force, as it moves closer to the other charged object doesn't the force increase.. so how can you ever have uniform acceleration with moving charged objects? can't it only be instantaneous acceleration? how can you apply the kinematics equations then?
 
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  • #2
Another question..

if one positively charged sphere Q, of mass m is held by a string attached to a vertical pole, and one negatively charged sphere is held at a distance, r, away from the sphere, how do i find the angle between the string and the vertical pole? i know to use coloumbs law to find the force between the 2 spheres.. but that's about it. they don't even say the length of the string or the pole
 
  • #3
streetmeat said:
If a charged object experiences say, an attractive force, as it moves closer to the other charged object doesn't the force increase..
Yes.

streetmeat said:
...so how can you ever have uniform acceleration with moving charged objects?
Well, as you stated above, you should find a situation in which the distance between the objects remains constant. It is often useful in this situation to contemplate the moon... In analogy with gravity, not werewolves.
 
  • #4
Apart from centripetal acceleration, constant linear acceleration of charges is also possible.
There are many ways by which a uniform electric field can be created, such as by using a very large conducting planar sheet of charge. In these cases the electric field is invariant of distance, and hence acceleration remains constant.

For the second question, draw the free body diagram of the suspended charged sphere and try to balance all the forces, so that the sphere is in static equilibrium.
 
  • #5
streetmeat said:
Another question..

if one positively charged sphere Q, of mass m is held by a string attached to a vertical pole, and one negatively charged sphere is held at a distance, r, away from the sphere, how do i find the angle between the string and the vertical pole? i know to use coloumbs law to find the force between the 2 spheres.. but that's about it. they don't even say the length of the string or the pole

This sounds like a homework or coursework question. streetmeat, welcome to the PF. Homework and coursework questions need to be posted in the Homework Help forums, and not here in the general forums. I'll move this thread over to the HH forums now.
 

FAQ: How Does Charge Affect Motion and Force in Physics Problems?

1. What is force on a charged object?

Force on a charged object is the measure of the influence of an electric field on the movement of a charged particle. It is described by the formula F = qE, where F is the force in Newtons, q is the charge of the object in Coulombs, and E is the electric field strength in Newtons per Coulomb.

2. How is force on a charged object calculated?

Force on a charged object can be calculated using the formula F = qE, where q is the charge of the object and E is the electric field strength. The direction of the force is determined by the direction of the electric field, and the magnitude of the force is directly proportional to the charge and the strength of the electric field.

3. What factors affect the force on a charged object?

The force on a charged object is affected by the charge of the object, the strength and direction of the electric field, and the distance between the charged object and the source of the electric field. The force is directly proportional to the charge and the strength of the electric field, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the objects.

4. How does force on a charged object affect its movement?

The force on a charged object can either accelerate or decelerate its movement, depending on the direction of the electric field. If the force and the direction of the movement are in the same direction, the object will accelerate. If the force and the direction of the movement are in opposite directions, the object will decelerate.

5. How can force on a charged object be measured?

Force on a charged object can be measured using a device called an electroscope, which measures the deflection of a charged object in an electric field. It can also be measured using a force meter, which measures the amount of force required to keep a charged object in equilibrium in an electric field.

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