Potential Difference: Equal Charge, Line Charge & Ring Charge

[Takuya925]

What is the potential difference between two equal charge/line charge/ring charge? Is it zero everywhere, or only in middle of the two?

 

[Dick]

Before you start talking about potential you have to fix where the zero is and that's arbitrary. But you certainly can't make it zero everywhere in the cases you are talking about.

 

[Moetasim]

The potential difference between two equal charges/line charges/ring charges depends on the distance between them and the nature of the charges. In general, the potential difference is non-zero everywhere except at the point where the charges are located. This is because the potential difference is a measure of the work done in moving a unit positive test charge from one point to another.

For two equal charges, the potential difference will be zero at the midpoint between the two charges. However, as the distance from the midpoint increases, the potential difference will also increase. This is because the electric field created by the charges decreases with distance, and hence the work done in moving the test charge decreases.

For a line charge, the potential difference will also be zero at the midpoint of the line. However, unlike two equal charges where the potential difference decreases with distance, the potential difference for a line charge increases with distance from the line. This is because the electric field created by a line charge is constant at all points along the line.

For a ring charge, the potential difference will be zero at the center of the ring. As the distance from the center increases, the potential difference will also increase. However, unlike two equal charges, the potential difference for a ring charge will eventually decrease and become zero at infinity. This is because the electric field created by a ring charge decreases with distance and becomes negligible at large distances.

In summary, the potential difference between two equal charges/line charges/ring charges is not zero everywhere, but it is zero at specific points depending on the configuration of the charges. It is important to consider the distance and distribution of the charges when calculating the potential difference between them.