You have been asked to analyze the feasibility of a transportation system that is operat...

You have been asked to analyze the feasibility of a transportation system that is operated using electric charges. A cart with a positively charged ball on the top is to move between two oppositely charged balls at opposite ends of a straight rail (see Figure P14.48). Suppose the charge on the stationary ball on the left is +4.0 X 10^-4 C and the charge on the right ball is -4.0 X 10^-4 C; the charge on the cart is +2.0 X 10^-4 C. The cart’s mass is 160 kg (including a passenger). A 60-N effective friction force opposes the motion of the cart. Determine the cart’s acceleration when at the position shown in the figure. (Note that the acceleration changes as the cart’s position relative to the stationary charges changes.) Is this a feasible way to transport the cart along the rail?