Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Electrostatics problem - PS



I forgot to mention that I assumed, as the problem stated, that the
angles are small when I did the trig for the non-equal mass balls. I
assumed the angles were small enough that the vertical line and the
line connecting the centers of the balls make a right-angle, so we're
dealing with two right triangles.

This is guaranteed with equal mass balls, so the small angle statement
doesn't even apply to this problem in that case. However, for unequal
mass balls, if we remove the small angle stipulation we don't have
right-triangles and the trig is a little more complicated... but I
don't think it's too nasty.

Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D. Phone/voice-mail: 419-358-3270
Professor of Chemistry & Physics FAX: 419-358-3323
Chairman, Science Department E-Mail edmiston@bluffton.edu
Bluffton College
280 West College Avenue
Bluffton, OH 45817