Goal: Reason regarding electric fields
Source: 283-11, E at origin due to charged rods
For which of the configuration(s) below does the total electric field
vector at the origin have non-zero components in both the x and y
directions?
- 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 5 only
- 4 only
- 1 and 5 only
- None of the above
Commentary:
Answer
(6) Only situation 3 meets the condition. A good exercise is to have
students draw the contribution to the field at the origin due to each
rod. The contributions should have the correct relative size and
direction.