Determine the point at which the electric field is zero.

In summary, the electric field is zero at a distance of 1.00 meters from two charges that are 1.00 meters apart.
  • #1
georgeh
68
0
Determine the point( other than infinity) at which the electric field is zero.

* ---------- *

One point particle denoted Q1 = -2.50e-3 C and Q2 = 6.00 e-3 C
the distance of separation is 1.00 m..
I am not sure how to determine R, s.t. my Electric field is Zero.
 
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  • #2
georgeh said:
Determine the point( other than infinity) at which the electric field is zero.

* ---------- *

One point particle denoted Q1 = -2.50e-3 C and Q2 = 6.00 e-3 C
the distance of separation is 1.00 m..
I am not sure how to determine R, s.t. my Electric field is Zero.

Do you know what R is?
 
  • #3
We are suppose to determine a distance which will produce an electric field that is zero. I happen to choose R..maybe that was a bad letter to represent a variable.
 
  • #4
Oh no. R is fine. I asked you what [itex] R [/itex] is, because [itex] R [/itex] should be a scalar (ie the distance) from something. Now [itex] R [/itex] could be the distance from anything, but would probably be the distance from the one of the charges.

For example if you had this configuration below


(-q)---------------(q)

|<----- 1m -------->|


Then if you wanted the distance from (-q) called R, you would have:

R<------- (-q)---------------(q)

Now the distance from (q) would be R+1m

do you see why it's important?
 
  • #5
doin this question now myself, honestly doesn't make much sense to me to have an electrice field equal to zero unless we added another charge particle to cancel out.
 
  • #6
There isn't any reason why you would need a third charge here. The electric field scales as 1/r^2. Ignoring the spatial relationship between the two charges, you only need to find two distances such that the field from charge one is equal and opposite to the field of charge two. Keeping in mind that the E field is a vector, it's not hard to arrange the two charges arbitrarily to have a point of null field.

Now with this problem, the two charges are fixed in relation to each other. So the first thing is to setup up an equation for the total field using a single vector to represent the distance instead of two. FrogPad shows one such way to do this. Now, you could have a situation where you can't have any nulls, but I think we can assume that it will not be the case. Don't forget that the electric field is a vector, not just a scalar.
 
  • #7
been trying to use

k2.5x10^-6/X^2 = k6x10^-6/(X+1)^2

but not getting the answer the book gives :( seriously these electrical charges and things just aint making sense to me!
 

1. What is the concept behind determining the point at which the electric field is zero?

The concept behind determining the point at which the electric field is zero is based on the principle of superposition. This principle states that the electric field at any point is the sum of the electric fields produced by all the individual charges present in the system.

2. How can we mathematically calculate the point at which the electric field is zero?

To mathematically calculate the point at which the electric field is zero, we need to use the vector addition of the individual electric fields produced by the charges. This can be done by using the formula E = kQ/r^2, where k is the Coulomb's constant, Q is the charge of the particle, and r is the distance between the particle and the point where the electric field is being calculated.

3. What are some real-life applications of determining the point at which the electric field is zero?

Determining the point at which the electric field is zero is important in many real-life situations, such as designing safe spaces for electrical equipment, calculating the force on charged particles in electric fields, and understanding the behavior of lightning and electric discharge. It also plays a crucial role in the study and development of electronic devices and circuits.

4. Can the point at which the electric field is zero change?

Yes, the point at which the electric field is zero can change depending on the position and magnitude of the charges in the system. It can also change if the charges are moved or if new charges are introduced into the system.

5. Are there any other factors that can affect the point at which the electric field is zero?

Apart from the position and magnitude of the charges, the medium through which the electric field is passing can also affect the point at which it becomes zero. Different materials have different electrical properties, which can alter the electric field and the point at which it is zero.

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