- #1
Shohel chowdhury
- 1
- 0
Electric field of opposite charges, cancel out each other, is it right?
Cancellation of the electric field from opposite charges
- Context: High School
- Thread starter Shohel chowdhury
- Start date
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SUMMARY
The discussion confirms that the electric fields of opposite charges can cancel each other out under specific conditions. When charges are close together, their electric fields interact, and the resultant field can be zero at a certain point between them. However, at larger distances, the net electric field approaches zero due to the cancellation of the fields from the charges. It is essential to note that the electric field between the charges is not zero and is influenced by their vectorial summation.
PREREQUISITES- Understanding of electric fields and Coulomb's law
- Familiarity with vector addition in physics
- Basic knowledge of charge interactions (positive and negative)
- Concept of field lines and their representation
- Study the principles of vector addition in electric fields
- Learn about electric field lines and their significance in charge interactions
- Explore the concept of superposition in electric fields
- Investigate the behavior of electric fields in non-ionized atoms
Students of physics, educators explaining electrostatics, and anyone interested in understanding electric field interactions between charged particles.
- #2
- 11,326
- 8,754
Yes, if the charges are close enough together.
- #3
lightarrow
- 1,966
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Don't know which level is really this question.Shohel chowdhury said:
If you mean the electric field outside(*) the charges is approximately zero at large enough distance from them, it's ok.
(*) The electric field between the charges is not zero, not even approximately.
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lightarrow
- #4
berkeman
Admin
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If you mean like with a non-ionized atom, then yes, the external E-field a ways away from the atom is zero, since the net charge of the electrons and protons cancels out.Shohel chowdhury said:
But if you mean when the two charges are separated by some distance on the order of your measuring distance, then the E-fields are summed vectorially (magnitude and direction). The E-field exactly in the middle between two like charges is zero, but you can see that the E-field in general from two charged particles is pretty complicated around them...
https://i.stack.imgur.com/pNHut.jpg
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- #5
lightarrow
- 1,966
- 64
Very nice picture. But the OP referred to opposite charges.berkeman said:
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lightarrow
- #6
berkeman
Admin
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Oops, thanks!lightarrow said:
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