Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Two small charged spheres of nC and nC are m apart in air. (a) At what distance from the nC sphere, on the line between them, is the electric field zero? (b) The nC sphere is changed for one of nC. The field is now zero at a point outside the two spheres. How far is that point from the nC sphere?
The field is , in N/C, and the force on a charge is . A point charge has , with , away from and towards . Fields add as vectors. A charge in a field accelerates at .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Plan. Set the sizes of the two fields equal. Then take the square root of both sides.
Step 1. Like charges. Let be the distance from the nC sphere. The fields cancel when . So . We want , so .
Step 2. Opposite charges. Between the spheres the two fields point the same way, so there is no zero there. Take a point beyond the nC sphere, at a distance from it. The field of the nC sphere points away from that sphere. The field of the nC sphere points towards it. So they can cancel. Equal sizes give . So , and .
Answer: m from the nC sphere, and m beyond the nC sphere.
Check. In both cases the point is nearer the smaller charge, as it must be, to make up for its smaller size.
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