Calculating Absolute Potential at the Center of a Square with +Q Charges

[Soaring Crane]

The absolute potential at the exact center of a square is 3 V when a charge of +Q is located at one of the square's corners. What is the absolutue potential at the square's center when each of the other corners is also filled with a charge of +Q?

I suppose you can't just multiply 3V*4 = 12 V? What's the correct of doing this problem?

Thanks.

 

[Curious3141]

Actually, you can just multiply by 4. Potentials are scalar and additive.

If you want to "prove" it from first principles, you have to integrate the electric field vector along a line normal to the square and passing thru' the square's center with respect to displacement from infinity to zero. But you would end up with the same expression.

 

[thepatientmental]

No, multiplying 3V by 4 is not the correct way to calculate the absolute potential at the center of the square when all four corners are filled with a charge of +Q. This is because the potential at a point due to multiple charges is not simply additive. Instead, you will need to use the formula for calculating potential due to multiple point charges, which is V = kQ/r, where k is the Coulomb's constant, Q is the charge, and r is the distance from the point to the charge. In this case, you will need to calculate the potential at the center of the square due to each individual charge and then add them together to get the total potential. This will give you a different value than simply multiplying by 4. I hope this helps clarify the correct way to approach this problem.