Two point charges are fixed in the -plane: at the point and at the point

PHYSICS · Subjective · CBSE · Physics · Electric Charges and Fields · Electric Charges and Fields

Problem

Two point charges are fixed in the

xy

-plane:

q_1 = +4\,\mu\text{C}

at the point

(3\,\text{cm},\;0)

and

q_2 = -6\,\mu\text{C}

at the point

(0,\;4\,\text{cm})

. Treat the origin

(0,0)

as lying at the intersection of the horizontal

x

-axis and vertical

y

-axis. (i) Calculate the distance between the two charges. (ii) Find the magnitude of the electrostatic force exerted on

q_1

q_2

in vacuum. (iii) Determine the direction of this force by evaluating the angle it makes with the positive

x

-axis, expressing the answer as

\tan^{-1}(\,\cdot\,)

of an appropriate ratio.