Electrostatics Equilibrium Problem.

It is required to hold four equal point charges + q +q each in equilibrium at the corners of a square. Find the charge in Coulombs , Q Q , that will do this if kept at the center of the square.


Details and Assumptions:

  • q = 1 C . q=1\text{ C}.


The answer is -0.957.

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3 solutions

Ayush Verma
Oct 10, 2014

A s w e k n o w , F = C q 1 q 2 r 2 l e t l e n g t h o f s i d e i s a N e t f o r c e o n a n y o f + q w i l l b e , F = 2 C q 2 a 2 c o s 45 o + C q 2 ( a 2 ) 2 + C Q q ( a 2 ) 2 F = 2 2 + 1 2 C q 2 a 2 + 2 C Q q a 2 ( o u t w o r d a l o n g d i a g o n a l ) f o r b a l a n c e F = 0 Q = 2 2 + 1 4 q Q = 0.957 q As\quad we\quad know,\\ \\ F=C\cfrac { { q }_{ 1 }{ q }_{ 2 } }{ { r }^{ 2 } } \\ \\ let\quad length\quad of\quad side\quad is\quad a\quad \\ \\ Net\quad force\quad on\quad any\quad of\quad +q\quad will\quad be,\\ \\ F=2C\cfrac { { q }^{ 2 } }{ { a }^{ 2 } } cos{ 45 }^{ o }+C\cfrac { { q }^{ 2 } }{ { (a\sqrt { 2 } ) }^{ 2 } } +C\cfrac { Qq }{ { (\cfrac { a }{ \sqrt { 2 } } ) }^{ 2 } } \\ \\ \Rightarrow F=\cfrac { 2\sqrt { 2 } +1 }{ 2 } C\cfrac { { q }^{ 2 } }{ { a }^{ 2 } } +2C\cfrac { Qq }{ { a }^{ 2 } } (outword\quad along\quad diagonal)\\ \\ for\quad balance\quad F=0\quad \Rightarrow Q=-\cfrac { 2\sqrt { 2 } +1 }{ 4 } q\\ \\ \Rightarrow Q=-0.957q

But we were asked to find only the magnitude of charge. Then why the negative sign...

Yash Choudhary - 6 years, 2 months ago

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Yes exactly you should mention that .

Raven Herd - 5 years, 5 months ago

|Q| = |-0.957| = 0.957 C!

Dhruv Bhanushali - 6 years, 2 months ago

Value of the answer is -0.457 q

sindhu ganta - 2 years, 10 months ago

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I got the same result

Camilo Henao - 1 year, 9 months ago

HI, do each force cancel each other out? I don't understand why you use three point charge instead of four or five? Waiting for reply, thank you.

Abby Xie - 2 years, 9 months ago

since this is case of symmetry so why not 1or -1 C charge is possible

Neeraj Kumar - 6 years ago

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Because net force on one q by other three is outward along diagonal so Q should attract to balance.Understand,Sir?

Ayush Verma - 6 years ago

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and magnitude will not be 1 because it will not be able to balance

Ayush Verma - 6 years ago

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@Ayush Verma WOW, I got it wrong because of the stupid negative sign. Just wow.

Abhijeet Vats - 5 years, 9 months ago
Mohit Kuri
Oct 27, 2014

He has firstly not mentioned that we must take q=1C

God Knows
Oct 10, 2014

now we want that any of the charges placed at the corner do not move simply we want hem to be in equilibrium equilibrium apply that NET FORCE ON THEM SHOULD BE ZERO NOW CONSIDER ANY ONE CHARGE FORCE ON PARTICLE IS GIVEN BY : KQ1Q2/R^2 Q1 = FIRST CHARGE , Q2 =SECOND CHARGE NOW FORCE ON ANY ONE CHARGE = kq^2/r^2+kq^2/r^2+kq^2/2r^2...........................(1) this last force is due to the one which is diagonally opposite . uptill now we have calculated the net force now the two forces which are equal get their one component cancelled and the other one added up with the force of diagonally opposite charge now total force will be like kq^2/2r^2 + 2^1/2kq^2/r^2 ( i mean one of the component of the perpendicular force cancelled up an the other which is of sin45 or cos45 adds up) now we want a charge at the centre let it name Q . now the force on the same charge due to th Q = 2kQq/r^2 .....................(2) equate 1 and 2 equation remember the polarity of charge should be negative so that it attract the corner charge

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