Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-physics-2-paper-of-the-university-of-oxford/2014-resit/1/solution

Put at and at , and write . The electric fields of the two positive point charges can cancel only between them. For , zero Lorentz force on therefore requires
The force of on points left, so must be negative to pull right. Equating these forces gives
For , the attraction to at separation has magnitude , exactly balancing its repulsion from . Thus all three forces vanish, not only the force on the inserted charge.

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