- #1
yanyin
- 21
- 0
the potential of a point charge is defined to be zero at an infinite distance. why can we not define the potential of an infinite line of charge to be zero at r = infinite?
The potential of an infinite line of charge is not equal to zero at an infinite distance because the electric field created by the line of charge does not become zero at infinite distance. The electric field decreases with distance, but it never becomes zero. Therefore, the potential also does not become zero at infinite distance.
The potential of an infinite line of charge can be calculated using the formula V = λ/2πε0r, where V is the potential, λ is the linear charge density, ε0 is the permittivity of free space, and r is the distance from the line of charge.
The potential of an infinite line of charge is constant along its length because the electric field created by the line of charge is perpendicular to the line and is the same at all points along the line. This means that the potential does not change along the line.
The potential of an infinite line of charge varies inversely with the distance from the line. This means that as the distance from the line increases, the potential decreases. However, as mentioned before, the potential never becomes zero at infinite distance.
Yes, the potential of an infinite line of charge can be negative. This occurs when the linear charge density is negative, which means that the line of charge has a net negative charge. In this case, the potential will be negative at points closer to the line of charge and will approach zero as the distance increases.