The attractive electrostatic force between the point charges +8.44 x 10^-6 C and Q has magnitude of 0.975 N when the separation between the charges is 1.31 m. Find the sign and magnitude of charge Q.

I got the force now how do I determine the sign?

Question

The attractive electrostatic force between the point charges +8.44 x 10^-6 C and Q has magnitude of 0.975 N when the separation between the charges is 1.31 m. Find the sign and magnitude of charge Q.

I got the force now how do I determine the sign?

anonymous · Answer

You say you have the force, do you mean you found the magnitude of charge Q?

anonymous · Answer

yes

anonymous · Answer

Because it says attractive is it negative? Thats what I'm assuming.

anonymous · Answer

yes....as the force given is attractive the charge must be negative....

anonymous · Answer

because opposite charges attract and similar charges repel....

anonymous · Answer

Yes the attractive force would be negative. However, it really would depend on your coordinate system, but it doesn't look like you're using vectors here, so I would just go with negative. Otherwise you would have to design a system and then choose the positive direction, so then you're either going x hat or -x hat in your unit vector.