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PRACTICE / Electric potential

A long route between equal potentials

Two points lie at the same distance 0.25 m from one fixed +5 nC charge. A +2 nC probe takes a curved route between them that goes farther away before returning to the original radius.

What is the total work done by the electrostatic field?

Organize the givens & assumptions
  • Equal endpoint radii: 0.25 m
  • Probe charge: +2 nC

Fixed point sources in vacuum; k = 9.0×10⁹ N m²/C². Ignore the probe’s effect on the sources. Zero potential at infinity.

  1. A0 J0\ \mathrm J
  2. B3.6×10−7 J3.6\times10^{-7}\ \mathrm J
  3. C−3.6×10−7 J-3.6\times10^{-7}\ \mathrm J
  4. D7.2×10−7 J7.2\times10^{-7}\ \mathrm J

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