Coulomb's Law multiple charges at specified set of points

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on applying Coulomb's Law to calculate the electric field (E) at specified points due to multiple charges. The formula used is E = (q(R-R')) / (4*pi*epsilon*|R-R'|^3). Participants suggest using the principle of superposition to sum the electric fields from each of the 10 charges at the given coordinates, rather than averaging distances or electric fields. This approach ensures accurate results by considering the contribution of each charge individually.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Coulomb's Law and electric fields
  • Familiarity with vector mathematics
  • Basic knowledge of MATLAB for computational assistance
  • Concept of superposition in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principle of superposition in electric fields
  • Learn how to implement Coulomb's Law in MATLAB
  • Explore vector addition of electric fields
  • Research the implications of multiple charge systems in electrostatics
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physics students, electrical engineering majors, and anyone involved in computational physics or electrostatics who seeks to understand the calculation of electric fields from multiple charges.

greenheck
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Homework Statement



View attachment ECE_220_Matlab_Problem_1.pdf

Homework Equations



E = (q(R-R')) / (4*pi*epsilon*|R-R'|^3)

The Attempt at a Solution



Ignore the MATLAB part of the problem .. i can do that easily.

I just need a head start ... so should i first calculate the E between the specified set of points and each of the 10 charges, then average it out to get the avg E for the first set? or should i find the average R between the 10 charges ( i can use that value for all 3 sets of coords) then subrtact R' (the set of coords) from it then etc?

Thanks for the help.
 
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greenheck said:

Homework Statement



View attachment 23876

Homework Equations



E = (q(R-R')) / (4*pi*epsilon*|R-R'|^3)

The Attempt at a Solution



Ignore the MATLAB part of the problem .. i can do that easily.

I just need a head start ... so should i first calculate the E between the specified set of points and each of the 10 charges, then average it out to get the avg E for the first set? or should i find the average R between the 10 charges ( i can use that value for all 3 sets of coords) then subrtact R' (the set of coords) from it then etc?

Thanks for the help.

Welcome to the PF. Just use the superposition of the E fields from each individual charge.
 
thanks
 

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