Electric Field of Two Unequal Point Charges

In summary, for two point charges of the same positive charge placed a distance "r" apart, the electric field at the midpoint of r is zero. If one point charge has double the charge of the other, the electric field will still be zero at the midpoint, provided that the distance between the charges is adjusted accordingly. The equation for an electric field of a point charge is E = kQ/r, where k is a constant of 9.0E9, Q is the charge of the point charge, and r is the distance from the point charge. The units for electric field are newtons per coulomb (N/C).
  • #1
dystorsion
4
0
For two point charges of the same charge (positive) that are placed a distance from each other "r", the electric field in the midpoint of r is zero.

Now here's my question, what if one point charge had double the charge of the other? At what point between the two charges the electric field equal zero?

Thanks,
Dystorsion
 
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  • #2
dystorsion said:
For two point charges of the same charge (positive) that are placed a distance from each other "r", the electric field in the midpoint of r is zero.

Now here's my question, what if one point charge had double the charge of the other? At what point between the two charges the electric field equal zero?

Thanks,
Dystorsion

You have to show some work before people will answer this question.

What is the equation for an electric field of a point charge?
 
  • #3
My bad, I assumed that people would know.

E = kQ/r

where k is the constant of 9.0E9, Q is the charge of the point charge, and r is the distance from the point charge.
 
  • #4
dystorsion said:
My bad, I assumed that people would know.

E = kQ/r

where k is the constant of 9.0E9, Q is the charge of the point charge, and r is the distance from the point charge.

I forgot the units, can you give me those too?

What is the electric field of two point charges at a distance r?
 

Related to Electric Field of Two Unequal Point Charges

1. What is the formula for calculating the electric field of two unequal point charges?

The formula for calculating the electric field of two unequal point charges is given by E = kq/r^2, where E is the electric field, k is the Coulomb's constant, q is the magnitude of the point charge, and r is the distance between the two charges.

2. How does the direction of the electric field depend on the relative positions of the two point charges?

The direction of the electric field depends on the relative positions of the two point charges. If the two charges are of opposite sign, the electric field will point towards the positive charge. If the two charges are of the same sign, the electric field will point away from the positive charge.

3. Can the electric field of two unequal point charges cancel each other out?

Yes, it is possible for the electric field of two unequal point charges to cancel each other out. This occurs when the two charges have equal magnitudes and opposite signs, and are positioned at equal distances from a point in space.

4. How does the magnitude of the electric field change as the distance between the two point charges increases?

The magnitude of the electric field decreases as the distance between the two point charges increases. This is because the electric field follows an inverse square law, meaning that it decreases by a factor of four as the distance doubles.

5. Can the electric field of two unequal point charges be added together to find the total electric field?

Yes, the electric field of two unequal point charges can be added together to find the total electric field. This is known as the principle of superposition, which states that the total electric field at a point is the vector sum of the individual electric fields created by each point charge.

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