Question

Four charges sit at the corners of a square as shown. The sides of the square are 10cm long. Find the magnitude and direction of the net force on q1.

Answer 1

The net force on q1 is zero.

Step-by-step explanation:

The net force on q1 can be found by calculating the individual forces exerted by each charge and then adding them up vectorially. Using Coulomb's law, the force exerted by a charge on q1 is given by:

F = k * (q1 * q2) / r^2

where k is the electrostatic constant, q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the distance between the two charges.

Since the charges at the corners of the square are symmetrically arranged, the forces they exert on q1 cancel each other out. Therefore, the net force on q1 is zero.