Forces on Charges in Equilateral Triangle
Interactive Simulation
This simulation demonstrates the forces between three charges (q, q, -q) placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle.
Charge at A: +q
Charge at B: +q
Charge at C: -q
Results
Force magnitude between any two charges:
0.00 N
Net force on charge at A:
0.00 N at 0°
Net force on charge at B:
0.00 N at 0°
Net force on charge at C:
0.00 N at 0°
Explanation
The example shows three charges placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle:
- Two positive charges (+q) at points A and B
- One negative charge (-q) at point C
Key Concepts:
Coulomb's Law: The force between two point charges is given by: F = k·q₁·q₂/r² where k = 1/(4πε₀) ≈ 9×10⁹ N·m²/C²
Superposition Principle: The net force on any charge is the vector sum of the forces exerted by all other charges.
In this configuration:
- The two positive charges repel each other
- Each positive charge is attracted to the negative charge
- The net force on each charge can be calculated using vector addition
