Nothing, but it is significantly easier to calculate, and often point charges are a good approximation because the actual charge distribution is so small its size does not matter.bmrick said:what phenomena does it explain that distributions cant?
A point charge is an idealized concept in physics where all of the charge is concentrated at a single point in space. This is commonly used to simplify calculations involving electric fields and forces.
A charge distribution is a physical system where the charge is spread out over a certain area or volume. This can be in the form of continuous distributions, such as a line or surface charge, or discrete distributions, such as individual point charges.
The main difference between point charges and distributions is that point charges are concentrated at a single point, while distributions have charge spread out over an area or volume. Point charges also have a specific charge value, while distributions have a charge density that describes the amount of charge per unit area or volume.
Electric fields are created by both point charges and distributions, but the strength and direction of the field will differ. Point charges will create a radial electric field, while distributions can create more complex field patterns depending on their shape and orientation.
Some examples of charge distributions in real life include the distribution of charges in atoms and molecules, the distribution of charges on the surface of a conductor, and the distribution of charges in the Earth's atmosphere during a thunderstorm.