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Example: Electric Potential from a Positive Point Charge
Could we maybe add some numbers here? Like R=0.1 cm and Q=5*10^-7 C? Could do this as a charged balloon or something.
Suppose we have a positively charged balloon with total charge Q=5⋅10−7 C. What is the electric potential at a point P, which is a distance R=50 cm from the center of the balloon? A diagram below shows a rough sketch.
Facts
- The charge with value Q is a point charge.
- The point P is a distance R away from the point charge.
Lacking
- The electric potential at P.
Approximations & Assumptions
- The electric potential at P is due entirely to the point charge.
- The electric potential infinitely far away from the point charge is 0 V.
Representations
- The electric potential from the point charge can be written as V=14πϵ0qr,where q represents our charge (Q) and r is our distance (R).
Solution
The electric potential at P is given by V=14πϵ0qr=14πϵ0QR