# Plot 3D graph of electric potential of a charged particle

Tags:
1. Jun 2, 2017

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
Plot the electric potential $V(r)$ due to a positively charged particle located at the origin of an XY plane.

2. Relevant equations
$V=\frac 1 {4πε_0} \frac q r$

3. The attempt at a solution
I'm unfamiliar with 3D coordinates at this time, but I like to know how can I plot it using a computer program like Matlab or online tools like WolframAlpha or Mathpix. I'm looking for the formula that I can plug into a software to see the 3D plot, plus an explanation for how to derive that formula. In the attachment, you can see the plot from my textbook (Fundamentals of Physics), but I don't why it's written $V(r)$ where no axes are named $r$.

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26
2. Jun 2, 2017

### Ray Vickson

I don't have access to Matlab or Mathematica (I use Maple instead), but a simple Google search on the keywords '3d plots in matlab turns up several articles on the topic.