Two equal charges are kept fixed at and along the -axis. A particle of mass and charge is brought to the origin and given a small displacement along the -axis, then:

the particle executes, SHM along x-axis

Physics · Electric charges: conservation of charge, Coulomb's law forces between two point charges, forces between multiple charges, superposition principle and continuous charge distribution

Two equal charges are kept fixed at and along the -axis. A particle of mass and

Two equal charges \( q \) are kept fixed at \( a \) and \( +a \) along the \( x \) -axis. A particle of mass \( m \) and charge \( \frac{q}{2} \) is brought to the origin and given a small displacement along the \( x \) -axis, then:

A. the particle executes oscillatory motion
B. the particle remains stationary
C. the particle executes, SHM along x-axis
D. the particle executes SHM along y-axis

Step-by-step solution

The net force on the particle due to the two fixed charges is calculated using Coulomb's law. For a small displacement x along the x-axis, the force is proportional to -x, indicating a restoring force. Thus, the particle executes simple harmonic motion along the x-axis.

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Step-by-step solution

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