Coulomb's Law/Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation (Precalculus?)

In summary, if you increase the charge by 40% and the distance by 30%, then the electric field changes by .4Q and .3D.
  • #1
Bill Nye Tho
48
0

Homework Statement


The electric field, E, a distance D away from a charged particle is directly proportional to the size of the charge Q, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance D. If the charge is increased by 40% and the distance is increased by 30%, by what percentage does the electric field change?

Homework Equations



?

The Attempt at a Solution



I'm actually pretty upset with how rusty I am at this but for some reason when I read these problems (and precalculus gravitational problems), I can't seem to get Classical Mechanics and Electromagnetism equations out of my mind. Although, I know that the answer will pretty much apply Coulomb's Law. Maybe I'm overthinking this..

ED = Q = 1/D^2

+.35(Q)
+.2(D)

Is all I'm interpreting from the question.
 
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  • #2
What do +.35(Q) and +.2(D) mean?
 
  • #3
SteamKing said:
What do +.35(Q) and +.2(D) mean?

Ah, I'm sorry.

I meant to write +.4Q and +.3D.

I'm increasing the charge by 40% and the distance by 30%
 
  • #4
Bill Nye Tho said:
Ah, I'm sorry.

I meant to write +.4Q and +.3D.

I'm increasing the charge by 40% and the distance by 30%

If you increase Q by 40% then Q becomes 1.4Q. The original electric field is E=kQ/D^2. Compute the ratio of the new field to the original field.
 
  • #5
Dick said:
If you increase Q by 40% then Q becomes 1.4Q. Think about it.

I know that, I'm just separating the added charge and added distance from the setup because I'm not even sure if I have that done correctly.
 
  • #6
Bill Nye Tho said:
I know that, I'm just separating the added charge and added distance from the setup because I'm not even sure if I have that done correctly.

That you understand it would be pretty hard to tell when you write things like +.35(Q) and +.2(D). If you know the ratio of initial and final charges and distance then use Coulomb's formula to compute the ratio of electric fields. This is pretty straightforward.
 
  • #7
Dick said:
That you understand it would be pretty hard to tell when you write things like +.35(Q) and +.2(D). If you know the ratio of initial and final charges and distance then use Coulomb's formula to compute the ratio of charges. This is pretty straightforward.

I think I figured it out, with your help. Thanks
 

Related to Coulomb's Law/Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation (Precalculus?)

1. What is Coulomb's Law?

Coulomb's Law is a fundamental law in physics that describes the electrostatic interaction between two charged particles. It states that the force between two charged particles is directly proportional to the product of their charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

2. What is Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation?

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation is a fundamental law in physics that describes the gravitational force between two objects with mass. It states that the force of gravity between two objects is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

3. How are Coulomb's Law and Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation similar?

Both Coulomb's Law and Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation are inverse square laws, meaning that the force between two particles decreases exponentially as the distance between them increases. They also both involve a constant of proportionality (the Coulomb constant and the gravitational constant) that determines the strength of the force.

4. What are the differences between Coulomb's Law and Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation?

The main difference between these two laws is the type of force they describe. Coulomb's Law deals with electrostatic forces between charged particles, while Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation deals with gravitational forces between objects with mass. Additionally, the Coulomb constant is much larger than the gravitational constant, indicating that electrostatic forces are much stronger than gravitational forces at the same distance.

5. How are Coulomb's Law and Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation used in precalculus?

In precalculus, these laws are used to understand and solve problems related to forces and motion. They can be applied to calculate the force between two charged particles or two objects with mass, and to understand the behavior of these forces at different distances. They are also used to explain concepts such as electric and gravitational fields, which are important in precalculus and beyond.

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