If you place a +0.638 C charge at a point where the electric field is 27.4 N/C to the right, what electric force will it feel? Include a + or - sign to indicate the direction of the force.

Answer 1

The statement of the problem does not put a + or - sign in front of the field strength value,

so I assume that it is positive.

That is, "to the right" is the positive direction of the force.

The force itself is the product of the field strength and the charge:

27.4 N/C × 0.638 C = 17.4812 C

The result is positive, meaning that the force is directed to the right.

That is consistent with the interpretation of electrical field direction -- away from a positive charge.

By our assumption that the field strength to the right is positive,

there must be a positive change to the left, pushing our given change to the right.