Thread: Physics: Electrostatic Forces question

This question isn't really making any sense in my mind...
Here's the given diagram for the problem:

It asks you to determine the distance between B and C if the net electrostatic force on B is 78.9 N at 64.4 degrees north of east.
Wouldn't A be attracting B, while C would be repelling it, so the net force should rather be south of east?
If anyone could explain to me how it's north of east it would help me out a lot! Thanks

I meant to put that it should rather be south of west, my mistake.

Don't you think there should be a negative sign

Do you mean on the overall force?

Originally Posted by xxlvh

This question isn't really making any sense in my mind...
Here's the given diagram for the problem:

It asks you to determine the distance between B and C if the net electrostatic force on B is 78.9 N at 64.4 degrees north of east.
Wouldn't A be attracting B, while C would be repelling it, so the net force should rather be south of east?
If anyone could explain to me how it's north of east it would help me out a lot! Thanks

based on my understanding, B will attract A, while it repel C away...
and the net force should be north of east. please refer attachment...

Originally Posted by lanzailan

based on my understanding, B will attract A, while it repel C away...
and the net force should be north of east. please refer attachment...

This is completely wrong as the force on A or C have got nothing to do with force on "B" however what xxlvh said is correct..

Do you mean on the overall force?

I meant that the term 78.9 N in your question should be negative
,if its not that I think its wrong the direction you have given is correct

Alright, thanks for confirming my suspicions, I don't think it will affect the distance which the problem is asking for but it was bugging me. =)