Answer:
the charge per unit area on the plastic sheet is - 3.23 x 10⁻⁷ C/m²
Explanation:
given information:
styrofoam mass, m = 16 g = 0.016 kg
net charge, q = - 8.6 μC
to calculate the charge per unit area on the plastic sheet, we can use the following equation:

where
the force between the electric field
m = mass
g = gravitational force

where
q = charge
E = electric field
and
E = σ/2ε₀
where
ε₀ = permitivity
thus

mg = qσ/2ε₀
σ = (2mg ε₀)/q
= 2 (0.016) (9.8) (8.85 x 10⁻¹²)/( - 8.6 x 10⁻⁶)
= - 3.23 x 10⁻⁷ C/m²
Knowing the direction of a force is important because it helps someone know the motion of the object. if you use a free body diagram, then it becomes easy to see all the forces being applied to an object. if there is more force going one way, the object is accelerating in that direction. if all the forces cancel each other out, then the object is at a constant speed or is at rest.
We will have that the diagram will be the following:
Here "F" is the force the shuttle is using to take off, friction is the friction with the air and "W" is the weight of the shuttle.