1. Does the fact that q2 is directly between q1 and q3 make any difference to the forces? What is the definition of equilibrium?
2. Don't forget to draw a diagram showing the directions of all vectors. When you do, you might spot a useful symmetry argument.
3. You might want to draw the graph first in order to guide your analytical determination of alpha. In mathematics, how do you find the maximum of a function?
4. Once you determine the forces, this is an equilibrium problem. What do you do first with equilibrium problems?
| Last revised 1/28/97 |