Calculating Energy for Creating an Equilateral Triangle of Charges

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SUMMARY

To calculate the energy required to position three charges of 2.0 μC at the corners of an equilateral triangle with a side length of 2.0 cm, one must utilize the electric potential equations. The relevant formulas include V = Kq/r and u = qV, where K is Coulomb's constant. The energy is derived from the work done against the electric field created by the existing charges when placing each subsequent charge. The first charge requires no work, while the second and third charges require energy due to the interactions with the electric fields of the other charges.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electric potential and voltage equations
  • Familiarity with Coulomb's law and electric fields
  • Basic knowledge of work-energy principles in electrostatics
  • Ability to perform calculations involving microcoulombs and centimeters
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of the electric potential energy formula for point charges
  • Learn how to calculate the total electric potential at a point due to multiple charges
  • Explore the concept of electric field lines and their impact on charge placement
  • Investigate the implications of charge interactions in different geometric configurations
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, electrical engineers, and anyone interested in electrostatics and energy calculations related to charge configurations.

azolotor
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How much energy is necessary to place three charges, each of 2.0 μC, at the corners of an equilateral triangle of side 2.0 cm?

This is in the chapter all about electric potential so I think I have to use the voltage equations in some way.

V = Kq/r u= qV



I am honestly unsure of where to start. It seems like it would be the sum of the voltages multiplied by the charges but I don't know if they interact in some way or what the distance r would be.
 
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When you place the first charge, you don't need to do any work but when the second charge is placed, you have to do work because of the electric field present there due to the first charge you placed.
 

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