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I have a homework problem that is asking me for something. Here's the last line quoted:

If you switch to the ring, by what part will you decrease the electric field magnitude at P?

Okay, so the only problem that I'm facing is that I'm not sure whether this wants a percentage, or a decimal. For example, my answer came out to be 0.11. Would this be asking for 11%, or just the decimal like it is right now?

Thanks, and sorry for such a basic question.


Edit: the whole question reads like the following:

Suppose you design an apparatus in which a uniformly charged disk of radius R is to produce an electric field. The field magnitude is most important along the central perpendicular axis of the disk, at a point P at distance 3.10R from the disk (Fig. 22-52a). Cost analysis suggests that you switch to a ring of the same outer radius R but with inner radius R/3.10 (Fig. 22-52b). Assume that the ring will have the same surface charge density as the original disk. If you switch to the ring, by what part will you decrease the electric field magnitude at P?

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    Ops! Good luck then!2012-03-31

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The question suggests that "by what part" means "by what percentage". But then again, context makes this more easy to guess. I would go with the percentage.

Hope that helps,

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    Yep, just got it wrong. It ended up being a decimal like my original answer was. Hopefully I can contact my instructor and show him what I entered. Accepted for your troubles.2012-03-31