EquilibriumProblems

SomeExtraNotestoHelpYouKnowHow toApproachaNewKindofCoulombs LawProblem

(Toaccompanyworksheetproblems#10&11.)

EquilibriumProblems: TheBasicIdea
Startbythinkingforamomentaboutthedirectionsofsome forcesactingbetweenchargesinthediagrambelow.(The unknowndistancesshouldntmatterforthesedirections.) Inwhatdirection istheforceonq2 becauseofq1 (F2,1)acting? Inwhatdirection istheforceonq2 becauseofq3 (F2,3)acting?

(Whenyouthinkyouknowtheanswers,gotothenextpage.)

EquilibriumProblems: TheBasicIdea
YoushouldseethatF2,1 isactingtotheleft,andthatF2,3 isacting totheright.Youshouldalsoseethatifq2 wasplacedattheright location,thetwoforcesF2,1 andF2,3 couldcanceleachotherout, andthatq2 wouldthereforeexperiencezerototalforce.Forthis tohappenapproximatelywherewouldq2 needtobeplaced?

(Whenyouthinkyouknowtheanswer,gotothenextpage.)

EquilibriumProblems: TheBasicIdea
Youshouldseethatq2 cantbeplaceddirectlyinthemiddle betweenq1 andq3 .Thisisbecauseq3 isalargerchargethanq1, andwouldthereforeexertastrongerforceifq2 wasatequal distancesfrombothcharges.Butifq2 wasshiftedalittlebitto theleft(closertothesmallerchargedq1),thentheforcesfromq1 andq3 couldbeequallystrongandperfectlycanceleachother.

Equilibriumproblems(liketheonesonyourworksheet)haveto dowithfindingtheexactrightlocationtoplacea3rd chargefor allforcesactingonittocancelout,leavinganetforceofzero.

Thefollowingproblemisanexampleofastandard Example equilibriumproblem.Thesolutionisonthenext page,soafterlookingatthequestion,lookatthesolutionand makesureyouunderstandthestepsinvolvedwithsolvingit.(You dontneedtodoanythingelsewiththisproblem,though.) Twochargesarearrangedasinthefigure.Findthepointinspace betweenthetwochargeswhereathirdchargeq3=+2Ccanbe placed,sothatthenetforceactingonq3 willbezero.(Giveyour answerintermsofthedistancefromq1 toq3.)

Example

Example

Thisproblemisonyourworksheet.Trytodotheproblem #10 yourself,basedontheexampleyoujustsaw.Thencheck youranswer/workwiththenextpageonceyouthinkyouknow howtodoit.

Twochargesarearrangedasinthefigure.Findthepointinspace betweenthetwochargeswhereathirdchargeq3=+4Ccanbe placed,sothatthenetforceactingonq3 willbezero.(Giveyour answerintermsofthedistancefromq1 toq3.)

#10

EquilibriumProblems: OneMoreIdea
Ifyoureallythinkaboutit,youshouldunderstandthatthezero forcelocationfora3rd charge(whichcanalsobecalledthe equilibriumposition)willNOTnecessarilybebetweentheother twocharges.Forinstance,lookattheexamplebelowandtryto understandwhya3rd charge(picturethe3rd chargeasbeing positive,thoughitdoesnttechnicallymatter),placedanywhere betweentheothertwochargeswouldNEVERbeinequilibrium. (Whenyouthinkyouunderstand,gotothenextpage.)

EquilibriumProblems: OneMoreIdea
Fortheexamplebelow,athirdchargecouldntgobetweenthe twocharges,becauseBOTHCHARGESWOULDBETRYINGTO PUSHTHE3RD CHARGEINTHESAMEDIRECTION,whichmeans theywouldntbeabletocanceleachother.Whenthishappens inaproblem,the3rd chargecouldtheoreticallybeplacedallthe waytotheleftofbothcharges,orallthewaytotherightofboth charges,inordertohavethetwoforcesactinginopposite directions.Sotodecidewheretoplacethe3rd charge,ALWAYS PLACEITCLOSERTOTHESMALLEROFTHE2CHARGES.

Thisproblemisonyourworksheet.Trytodotheproblem #11 yourself,basedontheexampleyoujustsaw.Thencheck youranswer/workwiththenextpageonceyouthinkyouknow howtodoit.(Butbecarefulyouthinkaboutwhatwasdiscussed onthelastcoupleofpagesofthesenotes.) Twochargesarearrangedasinthefigure.Findthepointinspace whereathirdchargecanbeplaced,sothatthenetforceacting onq3 willbezero.(Giveyouranswerintermsofthedistance fromq1 toq3.)

#11