Cube with equal charges at all vertices

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the total potential energy of a cube with charge q located at each vertex. It is established that the total potential energy is not simply a linear combination of the individual sides but rather the sum of the potential energies at each point in the system. The total potential energy is influenced by the quantity of charge, q, and the dimensions of the cube, specifically the length of its edges. The process of determining this energy involves calculating the work done to assemble the charges incrementally.

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If I have a cube with a charge q at each corner, but the problem doesn't say anything about the cube being grounded. Can I assume that the total potential energy will be a linear combination of the individual six sides?
 
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hi mateomy! :wink:
mateomy said:
If I have a cube with a charge q at each corner, but the problem doesn't say anything about the cube being grounded. Can I assume that the total potential energy will be a linear combination of the individual six sides?

(i don't understand where the sides come into it :confused:)

the total potential energy at a particular point is always the sum of the individual potential energies at that point :smile:
 
The electric potential depends upon the point at which it's being calculated.

The total potential energy of the system depends upon the quantity of charge, q, and the size of the cube, usually specified by the length of any edge.

You can find the total potential energy of this system of charges by finding the total work done to "build" this system from scratch.

How much work is required to bring the first charge into position --- with none of the others present?

How much work is required to bring a second charge into position ?

... etc.
 

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