• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 13:43
CET 18:43
KST 02:43
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
ByuL: The Forgotten Master of ZvT29Behind the Blue - Team Liquid History Book19Clem wins HomeStory Cup 289HomeStory Cup 28 - Info & Preview13Rongyi Cup S3 - Preview & Info8
Community News
BSL Season 223Vitality ends partnership with ONSYDE20Team Liquid Map Contest - Preparation Notice6Weekly Cups (Feb 23-Mar 1): herO doubles, 2v2 bonanza2Weekly Cups (Feb 16-22): MaxPax doubles0
StarCraft 2
General
GSL CK - new tournament Weekly Cups (Feb 23-Mar 1): herO doubles, 2v2 bonanza Vitality ends partnership with ONSYDE How do you think the 5.0.15 balance patch (Oct 2025) for StarCraft II has affected the game? Team Liquid Map Contest - Preparation Notice
Tourneys
RSL Season 4 announced for March-April Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament PIG STY FESTIVAL 7.0! (19 Feb - 1 Mar) $5,000 WardiTV Winter Championship 2026 Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond)
Strategy
Custom Maps
Publishing has been re-enabled! [Feb 24th 2026] Map Editor closed ?
External Content
The PondCast: SC2 News & Results Mutation # 516 Specter of Death Mutation # 515 Together Forever Mutation # 514 Ulnar New Year
Brood War
General
BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ battle.net problems ASL21 General Discussion BSL Season 22 BSL 22 Map Contest — Submissions OPEN to March 10
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues ASL Season 21 Qualifiers March 7-8 BWCL Season 64 Announcement [BSL22] Open Qualifier #1 - Sunday 21:00 CET
Strategy
Soma's 9 hatch build from ASL Game 2 Fighting Spirit mining rates Simple Questions, Simple Answers Zealot bombing is no longer popular?
Other Games
General Games
Nintendo Switch Thread PC Games Sales Thread Path of Exile No Man's Sky (PS4 and PC) Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion The Story of Wings Gaming
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas Vanilla Mini Mafia TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Mexico's Drug War Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine YouTube Thread
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
[Manga] One Piece [Req][Books] Good Fantasy/SciFi books Anime Discussion Thread
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Cricket [SPORT] Formula 1 Discussion TL MMA Pick'em Pool 2013
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Laptop capable of using Photoshop Lightroom?
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
FS++
Kraekkling
Shocked by a laser…
Spydermine0240
Gaming-Related Deaths
TrAiDoS
ONE GREAT AMERICAN MARINE…
XenOsky
Unintentional protectionism…
Uldridge
ASL S21 English Commentary…
namkraft
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 2024 users

Physics help

Blogs > Ftrunkz
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
Ftrunkz
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
Australia2474 Posts
November 06 2009 02:33 GMT
#1
Studying for end of year exams and im in my home town (2 hours away from uni and anyone i know who could help me) so figured i'd ask for help here. I have a feeling the question is way more basic than im making it and im just owning myself, i really dont know.

[image loading]


any help really appreciated, answer is: 7.17*10^-8 C

*
@NvPinder on twitter | Member of Gamecom Nv | http://www.clan-ta.com | http://www.youtube.com/user/ftrunkz | http://www.twitchtv.com/xghpinder
StorrZerg
Profile Blog Joined February 2008
United States13919 Posts
November 06 2009 02:37 GMT
#2
k so you have the answer so?
Hwaseung Oz fan for life. Swing out, always swing out.
Ftrunkz
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
Australia2474 Posts
November 06 2009 02:42 GMT
#3
I cant work out how to get the answer... It's a previous year's exam question, so i have the answers, not solutions tho =[.
@NvPinder on twitter | Member of Gamecom Nv | http://www.clan-ta.com | http://www.youtube.com/user/ftrunkz | http://www.twitchtv.com/xghpinder
Hot_Bid
Profile Blog Joined October 2003
Braavos36390 Posts
November 06 2009 02:43 GMT
#4
fyi, blog stays open because he's actually asking for help understanding the process of the work rather than trying to find a fast answer
@Hot_Bid on Twitter - ESPORTS life since 2010 - http://i.imgur.com/U2psw.png
Cloud
Profile Blog Joined November 2004
Sexico5880 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-06 02:48:26
November 06 2009 02:45 GMT
#5
I'm guessing you can calculate the horizontal force of each balloon (it's direction pointing toward the other balloon) by calculating the horizontal component of the vector caused by the weight of the 5 g object (its direction is the same as the rope, from the balloon towards the object, with a magnitude of 5 grams multiplied by gravity).

Then you say that force is equal to the magnetic force calculated with the Lorentz equation or something.

To be honest, I saw this shit like 5 years ago so I can't point to you exactly what to do.
BlueLaguna on West, msg for game.
Freyr
Profile Blog Joined July 2004
United States500 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-06 02:55:26
November 06 2009 02:54 GMT
#6
You know the vertical component of the force on each balloon (the buoyancy of two balloons is counteracting the gravitational force on the weight), and you know the angle thanks to pythagoras.

Use this information in conjunction with Coulomb's law (electrostatics, not magnetism) and the wonders of trigonometry to solve for the charge (which is equal in each balloon).

Essentially what Cloud said, minus the magnetism bit.
GOB
Profile Joined September 2009
50 Posts
November 06 2009 02:59 GMT
#7
[image loading]
Come On!
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24756 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-06 03:18:39
November 06 2009 03:02 GMT
#8
Just got back from parent teacher conferences (lol) so I'll edit something in in a minute.

edit: The steps I used to do it symbolically (not using a calculator right now)

1) Split the triangle into two right triangles
2) Call the hypotenuse L (which is 100) and one of the legs d/2 (since the entire base of the triangle is 30, d/2 is 15... it's probably smarter to define the entire base of the triangle as 2d but oh well)
3) Find the third leg by using the pythagorean theorum
4) Set up free body diagrams for all three objects... just to check: The mass has a downward force of gravity m*g, and two tension forces each going at an angle that you can calculate by using the triangle from above.
5) Solve for T using this free body diagram.
6) The free body diagram for a balloon should be an upward buoyant force (no downward gravity force since we just assume the buoyant force is that much weaker to compensate), a lateral electrostatic force repelling the opposite balloon, and tension going down at an angle and away from the electrostatic force.
7) Add up the forces in the x direction using Newton's second law. Plug in what you know for T, cos of the angle you can find by using your triangle from earlier, and the other force is simply Coulomb's law kQ^2/d^2.
8) Solve for Q.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
Ftrunkz
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
Australia2474 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-06 03:22:19
November 06 2009 03:06 GMT
#9
thanks for responses, i've atleast been approaching the question in the right way then :D.

wall of possibly incomprehensible working coming, if anyone can decipher and manage to see where i've gone wrong or where my understanding is completely messed up it'd be greatly appreciated =]:

the force due to the charges of the balloons on each other is:
F= (Q^2 * K) / r^2 = (Q^2 * 8.99 * 10^9) / .36 = 2.50*(10^10) * Q^2

so that force must equal the horozontal force from the tension in the strings.

the verticle componant of the strings combined is mg of the little 5g triangle thing.
therefor the verticle componant on one of the strings is F=(.005 * 9.8) / 2 = 0.0245

then i need to work out the triangles, doing so ended up getting me a 1:0.8 ratio (whole string vs verticle componant). So the tension force in the string is 0.0245 * (1/.08) = 0.03

thennnn i need to work out the horozontal componant, which from the diagram in the question is a ratio of 100:60, so 0.03 * .6 = 0.018375 (i left out a lot of figures earlier, adding them now)

so, that 0.018375 = electrostatic force = 2.5 * 10^10 Q^2

solving for Q gave me 8.57*10^-7, unfortunatly not the answer in the... answers... =[.
@NvPinder on twitter | Member of Gamecom Nv | http://www.clan-ta.com | http://www.youtube.com/user/ftrunkz | http://www.twitchtv.com/xghpinder
gyth
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
657 Posts
November 06 2009 03:08 GMT
#10
I get 5.6e-7C
Are you sure your answer is right?
The plural of anecdote is not data.
paper
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
13196 Posts
November 06 2009 03:09 GMT
#11
On November 06 2009 11:59 GOB wrote:
[image loading]


two circles and your first reaction is mouse eyes?
Hates Fun🤔
NukezaFlyin
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States10 Posts
November 06 2009 03:12 GMT
#12
I think your ratios are wrong.
randombum
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
United States2378 Posts
November 06 2009 03:14 GMT
#13
Lol Micronesia always finds these physics threads so quickly. Do you do a search for them whenever you log on or something?
Lemonwalrus
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
United States5465 Posts
November 06 2009 03:14 GMT
#14
Whenever one is made someone pings him on irc.

Seriously.
Ftrunkz
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
Australia2474 Posts
November 06 2009 03:19 GMT
#15
On November 06 2009 12:08 gyth wrote:
I get 5.6e-7C
Are you sure your answer is right?

I'd THINK they would be, since they are probably the ones used to mark the exam in 2007. But it's not outside the realm of possibility =o. If someone else confirms your answer i'll gladly assume its right over the ones givin, haha

and to the guy that said my ratios are wrong: That's probably likely, since i dont know where the hell else i'm going wrong =[
@NvPinder on twitter | Member of Gamecom Nv | http://www.clan-ta.com | http://www.youtube.com/user/ftrunkz | http://www.twitchtv.com/xghpinder
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24756 Posts
November 06 2009 03:19 GMT
#16
On November 06 2009 12:14 randombum wrote:
Lol Micronesia always finds these physics threads so quickly. Do you do a search for them whenever you log on or something?

I would have been the first response except I was driving home from parent conferences when this thread was made :p

btw I updated my earlier post to show some suggested steps
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
gyth
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
657 Posts
November 06 2009 03:20 GMT
#17
Its not a 60:80:100 triangle
The plural of anecdote is not data.
Ftrunkz
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
Australia2474 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-06 03:29:41
November 06 2009 03:24 GMT
#18
CRAP figured out where i went wrong i think, as others said its my triangles, i shouldnt of been using 60:100 it should be 30:100 since 60 is horozontal distance between the balloons, not the horozontal distance to the triangle. _should_ be able to get the answer now.

Thanks heaps for the speedy replies everyone much appreciated :D
edit: wait, now im getting gyth's answer, 5.6*10^-7C... lol. I guess the answers were wrong? Either way the questions killed me enough over the past hour or two that i'll assume that answer is right and move on, haha... and yay dragoon.
@NvPinder on twitter | Member of Gamecom Nv | http://www.clan-ta.com | http://www.youtube.com/user/ftrunkz | http://www.twitchtv.com/xghpinder
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24756 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-06 03:49:32
November 06 2009 03:49 GMT
#19
On November 06 2009 12:08 gyth wrote:
I get 5.6e-7C
Are you sure your answer is right?

Hm I got the same thing using google to calculate everything (which sucks so I have no confidence in this).

I'm trying to decide if there is a mistake in this method...

sqrt((2*.005*9.8*.3^3)/(9*10^9*sqrt(1-.3^2)))
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
AcrossFiveJulys
Profile Blog Joined September 2005
United States3612 Posts
November 06 2009 03:55 GMT
#20
On November 06 2009 11:59 GOB wrote:
[image loading]


Rofl. So I guess the whole face is edible?
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Monday Night Weeklies
17:00
#43
TKL 268
BRAT_OK 108
SteadfastSC107
IndyStarCraft 96
LiquipediaDiscussion
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
TKL 268
UpATreeSC 217
BRAT_OK 108
SteadfastSC 107
MaxPax 104
IndyStarCraft 96
JuggernautJason15
StarCraft: Brood War
Calm 3361
Horang2 527
Dewaltoss 143
Free 105
Rock 37
Barracks 21
Killer 17
Hm[arnc] 15
Shine 14
Dota 2
Gorgc6273
qojqva1745
monkeys_forever133
Counter-Strike
fl0m3094
olofmeister2197
pashabiceps1266
adren_tv38
Heroes of the Storm
MindelVK11
Other Games
singsing1985
FrodaN1309
Grubby1298
B2W.Neo1008
Liquid`RaSZi955
Beastyqt427
Liquid`VortiX175
ArmadaUGS125
Hui .94
QueenE90
C9.Mang073
Trikslyr46
Organizations
Dota 2
PGL Dota 2 - Main Stream9380
PGL Dota 2 - Secondary Stream3048
Other Games
gamesdonequick1823
BasetradeTV167
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• intothetv
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Nemesis4530
• TFBlade1048
• Shiphtur282
Other Games
• imaqtpie677
Upcoming Events
OSC
6h 17m
Wardi Open
18h 17m
PiGosaur Monday
1d 6h
WardiTV Team League
1d 18h
Replay Cast
2 days
The PondCast
2 days
WardiTV Team League
2 days
Replay Cast
3 days
Replay Cast
4 days
CranKy Ducklings
4 days
[ Show More ]
WardiTV Team League
4 days
Replay Cast
5 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
WardiTV Team League
5 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Wardi Open
6 days
Monday Night Weeklies
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

ASL Season 21: Qualifier #2
WardiTV Winter 2026
Underdog Cup #3

Ongoing

KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
Jeongseon Sooper Cup
Spring Cup 2026
BSL Season 22
RSL Revival: Season 4
Nations Cup 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Stage 1&2
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual

Upcoming

ASL Season 21
Acropolis #4 - TS6
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
CSLAN 4
HSC XXIX
uThermal 2v2 2026 Main Event
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
NationLESS Cup
CS Asia Championships 2026
Asian Champions League 2026
IEM Atlanta 2026
PGL Astana 2026
BLAST Rivals Spring 2026
CCT Season 3 Global Finals
IEM Rio 2026
PGL Bucharest 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League S23 Finals
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.