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A square with side length s = 2a has four charges at its corners: three charges of +Q and one charge of -Q. What is the electric potential at the center of the square?

Physics

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Step-by-step solution

4 steps

To find the electric potential at point P, the center of the square, we need to sum the potentials due to each of the four point charges.

  1. Determine the distance from each charge to point P.

    The side length of the square is s=2as = 2a.
    Point P is the center of the square. The distance from any corner to the center of a square is half the length of its diagonal.
    The length of the diagonal dd of a square with side length ss is d=s2d = s\sqrt{2}.
    In this case, d=(2a)2d = (2a)\sqrt{2}.
    The distance rr from each charge to point P is half the diagonal:

    r=d2=(2a)22=a2r = \frac{d}{2} = \frac{(2a)\sqrt{2}}{2} = a\sqrt{2}
  2. Calculate the electric potential due to each charge at point P.

    The electric potential VV due to a point charge qq at a distance rr is given by the formula:

    V=14πϵ0qrV = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{q}{r}

    There are three charges of +Q+Q and one charge of −Q-Q. All are at the same distance r=a2r = a\sqrt{2} from point P.

    Let V1,V2,V3V_1, V_2, V_3 be the potentials due to the three +Q+Q charges, and V4V_4 be the potential due to the −Q-Q charge.

    V1=14πϵ0+Qa2V_1 = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{+Q}{a\sqrt{2}} V2=14πϵ0+Qa2V_2 = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{+Q}{a\sqrt{2}} V3=14πϵ0+Qa2V_3 = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{+Q}{a\sqrt{2}} V4=14πϵ0−Qa2V_4 = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{-Q}{a\sqrt{2}}
  3. Sum the potentials to find the total electric potential at P.

    The total potential VtotalV_{total} at P is the algebraic sum of the individual potentials:

    Vtotal=V1+V2+V3+V4V_{total} = V_1 + V_2 + V_3 + V_4 Vtotal=14πϵ0Qa2+14πϵ0Qa2+14πϵ0Qa2+14πϵ0−Qa2V_{total} = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{Q}{a\sqrt{2}} + \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{Q}{a\sqrt{2}} + \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{Q}{a\sqrt{2}} + \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \frac{-Q}{a\sqrt{2}}

    Factor out the common term 14πϵ0a2\frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0 a\sqrt{2}}:

    Vtotal=14πϵ0a2(Q+Q+Q−Q)V_{total} = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0 a\sqrt{2}} (Q + Q + Q - Q) Vtotal=14πϵ0a2(2Q)V_{total} = \frac{1}{4\pi\epsilon_0 a\sqrt{2}} (2Q) Vtotal=2Q4πϵ0a2V_{total} = \frac{2Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0 a\sqrt{2}}
  4. Simplify the expression.

    Vtotal=Q2πϵ0a2V_{total} = \frac{Q}{2\pi\epsilon_0 a\sqrt{2}}

    This can also be written as:

    Vtotal=Q22πϵ0aV_{total} = \frac{Q}{2\sqrt{2}\pi\epsilon_0 a}

    Comparing this result with the given options:
    A) Q22πϵ0a\frac{Q}{2\sqrt{2}\pi\epsilon_0 a}
    B) Q2πϵ0a\frac{Q}{\sqrt{2}\pi\epsilon_0 a}
    C) Q2πϵ0a\frac{Q}{2\pi\epsilon_0 a}
    D) Q4πϵ0a\frac{Q}{4\pi\epsilon_0 a}

    The calculated total potential matches option A.

    The final answer is A\boxed{\text{A}}

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