Two charges are placed on the x axis. One of the charges (q1 = +9.2 µC) is at x1 = +3.

2 cm
and the other (q2 = -22 µC) is at x2 = +8.2 cm. Find the net electric field (magnitude and
direction) at x=0. I thought I set it up correctly with finding E for each point with:
E=(kq)/r^2.

You are on the right track..but did you look at the direction of the field produced by each
point. ..q1 creates a filed at x = 0 that is to the left and q2 creates one that is to the right

So E = kq2/r2^2 - kq1/r1^2 = k*(q2/r2^2 - q1/r1^2) =

9.0x10^9N-m^2/C^2*(22x10^-6C/(0.082m)^... - 9.2x10^-6C/(0.032m)^2) = -5.14x10^7N/C

The field points to the left with a magnitude of 5.14x10^7N/C

At what points along the x-axis is the

potential zero?
Two point charges, 3.4 microC and -2.0 microC, are placed 5.0 cm apart on the x-axis. At
what points along the x-axis is the potential zero? Let V=0 at r=infinity.
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Answers
Best Answer: Potential obeys the law of superposition; that is, the potential due to a system
of charges is the sum of the potentials due to each individual charge. In this problem, we are
not given a preferred coordinate system, so we may as well take x = 0 at one of the point
charges. It doesn't matter which, so I'll flip a coin and pick 3.4 μC to be at the origin. That
puts the -2.0 μC charge at x = 5 cm (we could also choose x = -5 cm without loss of
generality, but why add more signs than necessary?). For any point x along the x-axis, the
potential at x due to the 3.4 μC charge is (3.4 μC)/(4πε0|x|), and the potential at x due to the -
2.0 μC charge is (-2.0 μC)/[4πε0|x - 5cm|]. Notice how I use absolute value bars, because
potential only cares about distance and cares not one whit what coordinate system we impose.
Because of superposition, the total potential at x is the sum:

(3.4 μC)/(4πε0|x|) + (-2.0 μC)/[4πε0|x - 5cm|] = V(x)

Set this equal to zero:

(3.4 μC)/(4πε0|x|) + (-2.0 μC)/[4πε0|x - 5cm|] = 0
(3.4 μC)/(4πε0|x|) = (2.0 μC)/[4πε0|x - 5cm|]
(3.4)|x - 5cm| = (2.0)|x|
1.7|x - 5cm| = |1.7x - 8.5 cm| = |x|

To solve this equation, consider that |a| = |b| implies either a = b or a = -b, and solve the two
resulting equations separately:

1.7x - 8.5 cm = x
0.7x = 8.5 cm
x = 12.14 cm

1.7x - 8.5 cm = -x
2.7x = 8.5 cm
x = 3.15 cm

These are the two locations along the x-axis where the potential is zero

Two charges q and -3q are placed fixed on x-axis separated by a distance d. Where should a
third charge 2q be placed such that it will not experience any force ?
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