The figure below shows three small, charged spheres, all lying along the horizontal axis. Sphere A, at left, has a 6.15 nC charge. Sphere B has a 1.40 nC charge and is 3.00 cm to the right of A.
Sphere C has a -2.55 nC charge and is 2.00 cm to the right of B.
(a) What is the magnitude (in N/C) of the electric field at a point 2.00 cm to the right of A?
Draw the directions of the electric field vectors, due to each of the three charges, at the point to the right of A. What are the signs of the charges? How does this affect the directions of the field vectors? What is the magnitude of the electric field due to a point charge? Add the fields as vectors to get the net field. Be careful with units and signs. N/C
(b) A fourth sphere with a charge of -2.00 nC is placed at this point. What are the magnitude (in N) and direction of the net electric force on it?
From part (a), what is the electric field at the given point? If we place a charged particle at this point, how is the force on the particle related to the charge and the electric field at that point? Be careful with units and signs. N
direction
toward the left
