Name / Section: Narciso A.

Oribe Jr 12- OLOF

Activity in Coulomb’s Law Superposition Principle

Instruction: Solve and show your solution.

1.) Four point charges q= 4 mC are situated at the corners of a square with sides of
length a = 2.0 m. Find the resultant force on the positive charge q.

Given:

q = 4 mC

a = 2.0 m

Let:

Fx and Fy be the side of the square

FR be the resultant force

Find: the resultant on positive charge q(+q)

Solution:

Using the Pythagorean Theorem and 45-45-90 Right Triangle Rule, the hypotenuse
which serves as the resultant force in the given problem is equal to the force of the side
multiplied by √2 2.

a2 + b2 = c2
We now have,

Fx2 + Fy2 = FR2

Fx = Fy

Fx2 + Fx2 = FR2

2Fx2 = FR2
2
√2 F x = √ F R2

F x √ 2 = FR

k |−q||−q| k |−q||+q|
√2 =
a2 ¿¿

√ 2 x|−q| = |+q|
a2 2 a2

√ 2( 4 mC ) = |+q|
¿¿ 2¿ ¿

√ 2( 4 mC ) = |+ q|
2 2
4m 8m

[ √ 2(4 mC )] [ 8 m2 ] = |+q|( 4 m2)

[ √2( 4 mC )] [ 8 m2 ] |+q|( 4 m2)
=
( 4 m 2) (4 m2 )

[ √ 2(4 mC )] [ 2 ] = |+q|
|+q| = [ √ 2(4 mC ) ] [ 2 ]

|+q| = [ √ 2(8 mC ) ]

|+q| = 8√ 2 mC
+q = 11.314 mC

2.) Two small beads having positive charges 8 mC and 1 mC are fixed at the
opposite ends of a horizontal insulating rod, extending from the origin (the
location of the larger charge) to the point d = 1m. As shown in Figure P15.14, a
 third small charged bead is free to slide on the rod. At what position is the third
bead in equilibrium? (0.739 m)

Given:

d=1

F 1 = F2

k ( q 1) (Q) k q (Q)
2 = ( 2)
x ¿¿

k ( q 1) (Q) k q (Q)
2 = ( 2)
x ¿¿

(8 m) (1 m)
= ¿¿
x2

(8 m) (1 m)
2 = 2
x x −2 x +1

(8) (x2 – 2x + 1) = 1(x2)

8x2 – 16x + 8 = x2

8x2 – x2 – 16x + 8 = 0

7x2 – 16x + 8 = 0

Use quadratic formula:

−b ± √b 2−4 ac
x=
2a

a = 7 ; b = -16 ; c = 8
x = −(−16 ) ± √ ¿¿ ¿

16 ± √ 256−224
x=
14

16 ± √ 32
x=
14

16+ √ 32
x1 =
14

16− √ 32
x2 =
14

16+ √ 32
x1 =
14

x1 = 1.547

Therefore, this result is rejected because the result is much bigger than the original
distance so it will not satisfy the given problem.

16− √ 32
x2 =
14

x2 = 0.739

Therefore, the position of third bead is in 0.739 m.