Two charges +q and -q are placed at a distance d apart. What is the electric field at the midpoint?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
Two charges +q and -q are placed at a distance d apart. What is the electric field at the midpoint?
0
k * q / (d/2)^2
k * q / d^2
k * q / (d^2) * 2
At the midpoint, the electric fields due to both charges cancel each other out, resulting in a net electric field of 0.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: Two charges +q and -q are placed at a distance d apart. What is the electric field at the midpoint?
Solution: At the midpoint, the electric fields due to both charges cancel each other out, resulting in a net electric field of 0.
Steps: 8
Step 1: Identify the two charges: one is +q (positive charge) and the other is -q (negative charge).
Step 2: Determine the distance between the two charges, which is given as d.
Step 3: Find the midpoint between the two charges. This is the point that is exactly halfway between +q and -q.
Step 4: Understand that electric fields are created by charges. The positive charge (+q) creates an electric field that points away from it, while the negative charge (-q) creates an electric field that points towards it.
Step 5: At the midpoint, the electric field from the positive charge (+q) points away from it, and the electric field from the negative charge (-q) points towards it.
Step 6: Since the midpoint is equidistant from both charges, the magnitudes of the electric fields from both charges at this point are equal.
Step 7: Because the electric fields from the two charges are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, they cancel each other out.
Step 8: Therefore, the net electric field at the midpoint is 0.
