Yet another electric feild problem

In summary, the electric field at point P is the sum of the electric fields from the two charges at the base of the triangle.
  • #1
dink
31
0
This one I'm having a bit of conceptual difficulty with.
Problem is: three positive point charges, q, are placed in an equal lateral triangle, charges being the vertex's. Length of one side is a. Calculate the electric field at point P, which is also the the location of the topmost charge. Base of triangle is parrallel to page.

Hoping everyone understands that description, this is where I'm having problems.

eq: E = 2 * ((k * q)/(r^2)) * (unit vector, r)

My natural inclanation is to sum up the E's and treat it like a gravitation problem, however, I don't grasp the effect of having a charge ontop of point P will have on the electric field. Do I really just simply sum up the components of the fields from each charge?
 
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  • #2
Dink,
I thought that the electric field should be infinite at point P, because P is the charge itself, and then u can neglect the other fields caused by the other charges, but I hope you will get more posts so as to correct me...
 
  • #3
The question actually asks: What is the magnitude and direction of the field at P due to the two charges at the base? Does that mean to neglect the top charge?
 
  • #4
dink said:
The question actually asks: What is the magnitude and direction of the field at P due to the two charges at the base? Does that mean to neglect the top charge?
Yes.
Find the field at P by finding the contribution from each of the two base charges and adding them. Remember that electric field is a vector and must be treated as such.
 
  • #5
yes, that means to neglect the top charge, because they said find the electric field due to the other 2 charges. However if they didn't say due to the 2 charges, just find the electric field at the charge itself, it would have been infinite.
 
  • #6
Thanks for your replies guys, with this simple elightenment begins the blossoming of understanding, and also 5 more homework points. :D
 

1. What is an electric field?

An electric field is a region in space where an electrically charged object or particle experiences a force. This force is created by the presence of other charged objects or by the presence of a changing magnetic field.

2. How do you calculate the strength of an electric field?

The strength of an electric field can be calculated by dividing the force experienced by an object with a known charge by the magnitude of that charge. The formula is E = F/q, where E is the electric field strength, F is the force, and q is the charge.

3. What factors affect the strength of an electric field?

The strength of an electric field is affected by the distance between the charged particles, the magnitude of the charges, and the type of material that the particles are in. In addition, the direction of the electric field is determined by the direction of the force on a positive test charge.

4. How is electric field different from electric potential?

Electric field and electric potential are related but distinct concepts. Electric field is a measure of the force on a charged particle, whereas electric potential is a measure of the potential energy per unit charge at a certain point in space. In other words, electric potential is the electric energy that a charged particle would have if placed at a certain point, while electric field is the force that would act on that particle at that point.

5. How is an electric field represented graphically?

An electric field can be represented graphically using electric field lines. These lines are drawn in such a way that the direction of the electric field is tangent to the lines at every point. The density of the lines represents the strength of the electric field, with closer lines indicating a stronger field. Electric field lines also never cross, as this would imply that there are two different directions for the electric field at the same point.

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