Question

Imagine three electrically charged particles, all within five centimeters of each other. Assume that the space around the charged particles is a vacuum.

1) Which options below are true?

A) The strength of the total electric field extremely far away from the collection of particles is close to zero.
B) The particles create electric field vectors everywhere in space.
C) The electric force on a negatively charged target particle a small distance away from the sources will point opposite to the electric field created by the sources at target location.
D) The electric field at a target location in space only depends on the properties and positions of the source charges and the location of the target.
E) None of the above

Answer 1

All options (A),(B),(C) and (D)

We know, Electric field, E=kQ/r²

Electric force, F=kqQ/r², q-test charge

Option (A) - the total electric field strength will be zero since all the individual electric field due to three charges are zero far away.

Option (B)- the particles produce electric field vectors everywhere in space however in some places electric field may be a null vector or zero vector

Option (C)- From the relation between electric field and electric force when the test charge is negative electric force is opposite to the direction of electric field.

Option(D)- From the formula of electric field we clearly observe that it depends on the properties and location of source charge and the location of test charge