Two identical point charges are placed on a straight line symmetrically about a point…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Fields and their consequences · Fields and their consequences
Problem
Two identical point charges are placed on a straight line symmetrically about a point O in air. Initially each charge is at a distance a from O, and the electric potential at O is 800 V. The charges are then moved farther apart so that each is now (a+0.10)m from O; the potential at O becomes 500 V.
(a) Calculate the initial distance a (hence the initial separation between the charges).
(b) Determine the magnitude of each charge.