Question 16.4: FINDING THE ELECTRIC POTENTIAL GOAL Calculate the electric p...
FINDING THE ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
GOAL Calculate the electric potential due to a collection of point charges.
PROBLEM A 5.00-\mu \mathrm{C} point charge is at the origin, and a point charge q_{2}=-2.00 \mu \mathrm{C} is on the x-axis at (3.00, 0) \mathrm{m}, as in Figure 16.8. (a) If the electric potential is taken to be zero at infinity, find the electric potential due to these charges at point P with coordinates (0, 4.00) \mathrm{m}. (b) How much work is required to bring a third point charge of 4.00 \mu \mathrm{C} from infinity to P ?
STRATEGY For part (a), the electric potential at P due to each charge can be calculated from V=k_{e} q / r. The electric potential at P is the sum of these two quantities. For part (b), use the work-energy theorem, together with Equation 16.5,
PE = k_e \frac{q_1 q_2}{r} [16.5]
recalling that the potential at infinity is taken to bero.
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