Query 23

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course Phy 242

023.

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Question: `qIn your own words explain how the introductory experience with scotch tape illustrates the existence of two types of

charge.

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Your Solution:

The introductory experience with scotch tape illustrates the presence of 2 charges due to the fact that repulsion & attraction was

seen. When one piece of tape was ripped from the other and charged, as the two pieces of tape with the same charge would be

attracted to one another and when the other was introduced the two pieces of tape repelled each other. This showed the presence of 2

different types of charges.

confidence rating #$&*:

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Question: `qIn your own words explain how the introductory experience with scotch tape supports the idea that the force between two

charged particles acts along a straight line through those particles, either attracting the forces along this line or repelling

along this line.

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Your Solution:

When the 2 pieces of tape were either repelling or attracting, they seemed to remain in line with one another. This indicates the

forces between two charged particles act along a straight line through those particles.

confidence rating #$&*:

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Question: `qIn your own words explain why this experience doesn't really prove anything about actual point charges, since neither

piece of tape is confined to a point.

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Your Solution:

This experience really doesn't prove anything about actual point charges because external forces could have been involed with the

movement of the tape.

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Also the pieces of tape had significant dimensions compared with their separation; point charges have no dimensions.

If the pieces were far enough apart that the dimensions of the tape became very small compared to the separation, it would indeed be very difficult to distinguish the electrostatic forces they exert on one another from other electrostatic forces, and other forces that might be present.

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confidence rating #$&*:

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Question: `qIf one piece of tape is centered at point A and the other at point B, then let AB_v stand for the vector whose initial

point is A and whose terminal point is B, and let AB_u stand for a vector of magnitude 1 whose direction is the same as that of

AB_u.

Let BA_v and BA_u stand for the analogous vectors from B to A.

Vectors of length 1 are called unit vectors.

If the pieces attract, then in the direction of which of the two unit vectors is the tape at point A pushed or pulled?

If the pieces repel, then in the direction of which of the two unit vectors is the tape at B pushed or pulled?

Explain.

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Your Solution:

If attraction: then A will move toward B and the vector AB_V will get smaller and be pushed.

If repulsion: then then A will move away from B and the vector AB_V will get greater and be pulled.

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There are two unit vectors.

The question asks in what directions that tape pieces at A and B get pushed or pulled. The direction of each push or pull is to be specified by one of the unit vectors.

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Note also, for conceptual clarify, that you can't push or pull a vector, though vector quantities (e.g., forces) can push or pull things.

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confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

If the pieces attract, then the tape at point A is pulled toward point B.

The vectors AB_v and AB_u point from A to B.

Of these the vector AB_u is the unit vector.

So the tape at A experiences a force in the direction of the vector AB_u.

If the pieces repel, then the tape at point B is pushed away from point A.

The direction of the force is therefore from A towards B.

The direction is therefore that of the vector AB_u.

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Self-critique (if necessary): OK

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Self-critique Rating: OK

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Question: `qUsing the notation of the preceding question, which you should have noted on paper (keep brief running notes as you do

qa's and queries so you can answer 'followup questions' like this), how does the magnitude of the vector AB_v depend on the

magnitude of BA_v, and how does the magnitude of each vector compare with the distance between A and B?

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Your Solution:

AB_v and BA_v will be equal but opposite becouse of the fact that the forces between the two must be equal but opposite. The

magnitude of the vector will depend on the x and y components of each vector AB_v and BA_v which would make them equal.

confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

The distance from A to B is the same as the distance from B to A. So the vectors AB_v and BA_v have the same length.

Each vector therefore has magnitude equal to the distance between A and B.

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Self-critique (if necessary): OK

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Self-critique Rating: OK

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Question: `qUsing the notation of the preceding question, how is the force experienced by the two pieces of tape influenced by the

magnitude of AB_v or BA_v?

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Your Solution:

The magnitude of AB_v and BA_v will cause the force to increase as the magnitude increases and dreacse as the magnitude of AB_v and

BA_v decreases.

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Your answer would imply that the magnitude of the force increases when the two pieces of tape are further apart, and decreases when they are closer together.

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confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

The expected answer is that the force exerted by two charges on one another is inversely proportional to the square of the distance

between them. So as the magnitudes of the vectors, which are equal to the distance between A and B (i.e., to the separation between

the two pieces of tape), increases the force decreases with the square of the distance (similarly if the distance decreases the

force increases in the same proportion).

This answer isn't exactly correct, since the two pieces of tape are not point charges. Since some parts of tape A are closer to B

than other parts of tape A, and vice versa, the inverse square relationship applies only in approximation for actual pieces of tape.

STUDENT COMMENT: Still not sure how to answer this question. I dont know what sort of difference there is between the magnitude

vector and the unit vector.

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE: As noted in the preceding solution, AB_v stands for the vector whose initial point is A and whose terminal

point is B, and AB_u stands for a vector of magnitude 1 whose direction is the same as that of AB_u.

To get a unit vector in the direction of a given vector, you divide that vector by its magnitude. So AB_u = AB_v / | AB_v |.

The purpose of a unit vector is to represent a direction. If you multiply a unit vector by a number, you get a vector in the same

direction as the unit vector, whose magnitude is the number by which you multiplied it.

The problem does not at this point ask you to actually calculate these vectors. However, as an example:

Suppose point A is (4, 5) and point B is (7, 3). Then AB_v is the vector whose initial point is A and whose terminal point is B, so

that AB_v = <3, -2>, the vector with x component 3 and y component -2.

The magnitude of this vector is sqrt( 3^2 + (-2)^2 ) = sqrt(11).

Therefore AB_u = <3, -2> / sqrt(11) = (3 / sqrt(11), -2 / sqrt(11) ). That is, AB_u is the vector with x component 3 / sqrt(11) and

y component -2 / sqrt(11). (Note that these components should be written with rationalized denominators as 3 sqrt(11) / 11 and -2

sqrt(11) / 11, so that AB_u = <3 sqrt(11) / 11, -2 sqrt(11) / 11 > ). The vector AB_u is a unit vector: it has magnitude 1.

The unit vector has the same direction as AB_v. If we want a vector of magnitude, say, 20 in the direction of this vector, we

simply multiply the unit vector AB_u by 20 (we would obtain 20 * <3 sqrt(11) / 11, -2 sqrt(11) / 11 > = <60 sqrt(11) / 11, -40 sqrt

(11) / 11 >).

You don't need to understand this example at this point, but if you wish to understand it you should probably sketch this situation

and identify all these quantities in your sketch.

STUDENT RESPONSE

AB_v/(AB_v)absolute value

So AB_u would either be 1 or -1.

INSTRUCTOR COMMENT

AB_u and BA_v are vectors, so they have both magnitude and direction.

Your answer is correct if everything is in one dimension (e.g., if all charges are on the x axis and all forces directed along the x

axis).

In one dimension direction can be specified by + and - signs.

In two dimensions + and - signs are not sufficient. In two dimensions the direction of a vector is generally specified by its angle

as measured counterclockwise from the positive x axis.

In two dimensions, the magnitude of AB_u would be the same as that of BA_u, but the vectors would be in the opposite direction.

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Self-critique (if necessary): OK

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Self-critique Rating: OK

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Question: `qQuery introductory set #1, 1-5

Explain how we calculate the magnitude and direction of the electrostatic force on a given charge at a given point of the x-y plane

point due to a given point charge at the origin.

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Your solution:

The magintude of the electrostatic force can be found by F12=(K*qi*q2)/r^2 where K=9*10^9 q1 and q2 are the charges and r=sqrt((x2-

x1)^2+(y2-y1)^2).

The direction of the forces can be found by finding F12x and F12y where F12x=F12*(dx/r) and F12y=F12*(dy/r) where dx=(x2-x1) and

dy=(y2-y1) which would be the x and y components of the charge which would show direction.

confidence rating #$&*:

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Given Solution:

`a** The magnitude of the force on a test charge Q is F = k q1 * Q / r^2, where q1 is the charge at the origin. The force is one of

repulsion if q1 and Q are of like sign, attraction if the signs are unlike.

The force is therefore directly away from the origin (if q1 and Q are of like sign) or directly toward the origin (if q1 and Q are

of unlike sign).

To find the direction of this displacement vector we find arctan(y / x), adding 180 deg if x is negative. If the q1 and Q are like

charges then this is the direction of the field. If q1 and Q are unlike then the direction of the field is opposite this direction.

The angle of the field would therefore be 180 degrees greater or less than this angle.**

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Self-critique (if necessary):

I forgot to mention the fact that the forces are repelled if the signs are the same and attract if signs are different. Also, the

tan^-1(y/x) for the angle is easier than the way I approached the problem.

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Self-critique Rating: 3

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Self-critique (if necessary):

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Self-critique rating:

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Be very sure to see my notes, and let me know if you have questions.

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