Final answer:
The student's question is about the maximum electric field generated by symmetrical point charges on a circle. The point of maximum electric field occurs along the z-axis due to symmetry, and the magnitude is found using principles of electrostatics like Coulomb's Law and superposition.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the properties of electric fields generated by point charges arranged in a symmetrical pattern around a circle. To find the point on the z-axis where the magnitude of the electric field (|E|) is at maximum, one would employ principles of electrostatics, in particular, taking advantage of symmetry and using the superposition principle. Symmetry suggests that the maximum field will occur along the z-axis, but the precise location requires either numerical methods or advanced calculus-level electrostatics to determine.
However, solving (b) for the maximum electric field magnitude (|E|_max) might be non-trivial without additional detail such as the linear charge distribution or the specific arrangement, which are lacking in the question's description. In these cases, Coulomb's Law and the principle of superposition are typically used to compute the resultant electric field at a point.