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willDavidson
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- TL;DR Summary
- I am trying to understand what a point charge is.
I am trying to understand what a point charge is. Is it just an electron? Or is it just an idea?
The formula for calculating the electric field of a point charge is given by E = k*q/r^2, where k is the Coulomb's constant, q is the magnitude of the charge, and r is the distance from the point charge.
The electric field of a point charge follows an inverse square law, meaning that it decreases with the square of the distance from the point charge. This means that the further away you are from the point charge, the weaker the electric field will be.
The direction of the electric field of a point charge is always away from a positive charge and towards a negative charge. This is because electric field lines represent the direction of the force that a positive test charge would experience in the presence of the point charge.
Yes, the electric field of a point charge can be negative. This would occur if the point charge is negative, as the direction of the electric field would be towards the negative charge.
The electric field of a point charge is a radial field, meaning that the field lines extend outwards in all directions. In contrast, the electric field of a dipole has a more complex shape, with field lines that extend from the positive charge to the negative charge. Additionally, the electric field of a dipole is typically stronger near the charges and decreases more rapidly with distance compared to a point charge.