Question

Suppose an electric field with a magnitude of 2.8 E 4 N/C at a certain location, points due south. If a charge of -4.0 E -6 C is brought to the location, what is the electrostatic force that acts on this charge?

Answer 1

Answer: 0.112 N due north.

Step-by-step explanation:

Data:

E = 2.8 * 10^4 N/c
q = -4.0 * 10^ - 6C
F =?

Formula:

E = F / q

This formula tells that the magnitude of the electric field equals the electrostatic force divided by magnitude of the charge.

From that equation you get: F = Eq, which is what you need use for this problem.

Solution:

F= Eq = 2.8 * 10^4 N/C * (-4.0 * 10^ - 6 C) = - 0.112 N

The negative sign means that the force points in the opposite direction of the electric field, this is the force points toward the north.