Question

Three equal point charges, each with charge 1.05 μCμC , are placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle whose sides are of length 0.500 mm . What is the electric potential energy UUU of the system? (Take as zero the potential energy of the three charges when they are infinitely far apart.)

Answer 1

Answer:

The value is $U = 0.06 \ J$

Explanation:

From the question we are told that

The value of charge on each three point charge is

$q_1 = q_2 = q_3 =q= 1.05 \mu C = 1.05 *10^{-6} \ C$

The length of the sides of the equilateral triangle is $r = 0.500$

Generally the total potential energy is mathematically represented as

$U = k * [ \frac{q_1 * q_2}{r} + \frac{q_2 * q_3}{r} + \frac{q_3 * q_1}{r} ]$

=> $U = k * 3 * \frac{q^2}{r}$

Here k is coulomb constant with value $k = 9*10^{9}\ kg\cdot m^3\cdot s^{-4} \cdot A^{-2}.$

=>    $U = 9*10^9 * 3 * \frac{(1.05 *10^{-6})^2}{0.5 }$

$U = 0.06 \ J$