Final answer:
To find the net electric force that the two charges would exert on an electron placed at a point on the x-axis at x = 0.200 m, we use Coulomb's law to calculate the electric force exerted by each charge and then add or subtract these forces as vectors.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the net electric force that the two charges would exert on an electron placed at a point on the x-axis at x = 0.200 m, we need to consider the superposition principle. The net electric force is the vector sum of the individual electric forces exerted by each charge on the electron.
We can use Coulomb's law to calculate the electric force exerted on the electron by each charge. Coulomb's law states that the magnitude of the electric force between two charged objects is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
Once we have calculated the electric force exerted by each charge, we can find the net electric force by adding the forces as vectors, taking into account their directions. If the charges have the same sign, the forces will be repulsive and we need to subtract the forces. If the charges have opposite signs, the forces will be attractive and we need to add the forces.