If two point charges, +Q and -Q, are separated by a distance d, what is the magn

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Question: If two point charges, +Q and -Q, are separated by a distance d, what is the magnitude of the electric field (E) at the midpoint?

Options:

Correct Answer: E = 0

Solution:

At the midpoint, the electric fields due to both charges cancel each other out, resulting in E = 0.

If two point charges, +Q and -Q, are separated by a distance d, what is the magnitude of the electric field (E) at the midpoint?

If two point charges, +Q and -Q, are separated by a distance d, what is the magnitude of the electric field (E) at the midpoint?

Step 1: Identify the two point charges: one is +Q (positive) and the other is -Q (negative).
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 located at a distance of d/2 from each charge.
Step 4: Calculate the electric field (E) created by the positive charge (+Q) at the midpoint. The electric field points away from the positive charge.
Step 5: Calculate the electric field (E) created by the negative charge (-Q) at the midpoint. The electric field points towards the negative charge.
Step 6: Since the electric fields from +Q and -Q are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction at the midpoint, they cancel each other out.
Step 7: Conclude that the total electric field (E) at the midpoint is 0.

Electric Field Due to Point Charges – The electric field created by a point charge is a vector quantity that points away from positive charges and towards negative charges. The net electric field at a point is the vector sum of the electric fields due to all charges.
Superposition Principle – The principle that the total electric field at a point due to multiple charges is the vector sum of the electric fields due to each charge considered separately.
Midpoint Analysis – At the midpoint between two equal and opposite charges, the electric fields produced by each charge are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, leading to a net electric field of zero.