Electric Field Calculation of a Fly Flying Through the Air

What is the magnitude and direction of the electric field at a location 2 cm away from a fly that accumulates 1.0 x 10⁻¹⁰ C of positive charge as it flies through the air?

How can we calculate the electric field at a specific distance from a charged fly?

Magnitude and Direction of Electric Field:

The magnitude of the electric field at a location 2 cm away from a fly with a positive charge of 1.0 x 10⁻¹⁰ C is approximately 2.2475 x 10⁻⁶ N/C. The electric field is directed radially outward from the fly.

When calculating the electric field at a specific distance from a charged object, such as a fly in this case, we can use Coulomb's Law. Coulomb's Law states that the electric field created by a point charge is given by:

E = k * (|Q| / r²)

Where:

k is the electrostatic constant (k ≈ 8.99 × 10⁹ N m²/C²),

|Q| is the magnitude of the charge,

r is the distance from the charge.

Given that the fly has a charge of 1.0 x 10⁻¹⁰ C and the distance is 2 cm (0.02 m), we can substitute these values into the formula:

E = (8.99 × 10⁹ N m²/C²) * (1.0 x 10⁻¹⁰ C) / (0.02 m)²

E ≈ 2.2475 x 10⁻⁶ N/C

Therefore, the magnitude of the electric field is approximately 2.2475 x 10⁻⁶ N/C at a location 2 cm away from the fly. Since the charge is positive, the direction of the electric field will be radially outward from the fly.

Thus, we have determined that the magnitude of the electric field is approximately 2.2475 x 10⁻⁶ N/C, and its direction is away from the fly, in the outward direction.