Question

A very thin rod made of an insulating material has a linear charge density of 41.0nC/m. It lies along the line y=−15.0 cm, with one endpoint at x=0 and the other at x=40.0 cm. What is the electric field at the origin due to this rod?

Answer 1

The electric field at the origin due to the thin rod is 246 N/C.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the electric field at the origin due to the thin rod, we can use the formula for the electric field created by a line of charge:

E = (k * λ) / r

Where E is the electric field, k is the Coulomb's constant (9 * 10^9 N m^2/C^2), λ is the linear charge density, and r is the distance from the point to the line of charge.

In this case, the linear charge density is 41.0 nC/m and the distance from the point to the line of charge is 0.15 m (from y = -15 cm to the origin).

Plugging in these values, we get:

E = (9 * 10^9 * 41.0 * 10^-9) / 0.15

E = 246 N/C

Thus, the electric field at the origin due to the thin rod is 246 N/C.