How Do You Calculate Electric Potential with Opposite Charges?

[ngkamsengpeter]

A positive charge Q between two charge , a positive charge and a negative charge .Now I want to find the electric potential at the positive charge Q due to both the charges . The problem I am facing is do I need to minus the
electric potential due to charge positive with the electric potential due to charge negative . I have this problem because the electric potential is a scalar quantity , so if I minus it , it will look like it is a vector quantity .So do I need to minus it or add it together ?

 

[Dr.Brain]

Because Potential is a scalar quantitu , Vnet=V(+) + V(-) , that is summation of potential at that point due to positive charge + potential at that point due to negative charge , while writing the potential terms take the charge +Q or -Q as the case maybe...

 

[kyle8921]

I can provide some guidance on how to approach this electric potential problem. First, it is important to understand that electric potential is a scalar quantity, meaning it only has magnitude and no direction. Therefore, when calculating the electric potential at a point due to multiple charges, we do not need to consider the direction of the electric potential.

In this scenario, we have a positive charge Q between two other charges, a positive and a negative. To find the electric potential at Q, we need to consider the electric potential contributions from both charges. The electric potential at a point due to a single charge is given by the equation V = kQ/r, where k is the Coulomb's constant, Q is the charge, and r is the distance between the charge and the point.

To find the total electric potential at Q, we simply need to add the individual electric potential contributions from the two charges. This is because electric potential is a scalar quantity and follows the rules of scalar addition. Therefore, we do not need to subtract one potential from the other.

In summary, to find the electric potential at Q due to both the positive and negative charges, we need to calculate the electric potential at Q due to each charge separately and then add them together. This will give us the total electric potential at Q. I hope this helps clarify your doubts and guides you in solving the problem.