Question

Four identical particles, each having charge +q, are fixed at the corners of a square of side L. A fifth point charge −Q (at P point) lies a distance z along the line perpendicular to the plane of the square and passing through the center of the square. Determine the force exerted by the other four charges on −Q.

Answer 1

The student's question involves calculating the net electrostatic force on a charge placed above the center of a square formed by four identical charges using Coulomb's law, a high school physics concept.

Step-by-step explanation:

The subject of the question is Physics, and it appears to be at the High School level. It involves electrostatic forces and Coulomb's law, which are part of the high school physics curriculum. The situation described is a classic problem where the force on a charge due to other charges positioned symmetrically around it must be determined. In such a scenario, one would calculate the force on the charge −Q due to each of the four +q charges at the corners of the square. Using the principle of superposition, the vector sum of these forces will give the net force exerted on −Q. To solve the problem, one would use Coulomb's Law, which states that the electrostatic force between two charges is directly proportional to the product of the magnitudes of charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.