What is the potential energy of a system of three 2 $\mu$C charges arranged in an equilateral triangle of side 20 cm?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The potential energy (U) of a system of charges can be calculated using the formula $U = \frac{kq_1q_2}{r}$, where $k$ is Coulomb's constant ($8.99 \times 10^9 \, \text{Nm}^2/\text{C}^2$), $q_1$ and $q_2$ are the charges, and $r$ is the distance between them. For an equilateral triangle with each side of 0.2 m (20 cm) and each charge being $10^{-6}$ C (or $1 \mu C$), the potential energy of the system is the sum of the potential energies of each pair of charges. Since there are three pairs, the total potential energy is $3 \times \frac{(8.99 \times 10^9) \times (10^{-6}) \times (10^{-6})}{0.2}$, which calculates to approximately 0.54 J.

What Is the Potential Energy of a System of Three μ\muμ

What Is the Potential Energy of a System of Three $\mu$