Use the following figure to answer the next problem.
-The electrostatic potential energy of the system of point charges q₁ = -1 µC,q₂ = 2 µC,and q₃ = 3 µC at the corners of the equilateral triangle whose side s = 50 cm is

Question

Use the following figure to answer the next problem.

-The electrostatic potential energy of the system of point charges q₁ = -1 µC,q₂ = 2 µC,and q₃ = 3 µC at the corners of the equilateral triangle whose side s = 50 cm is

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The electrostatic potential energy of the system of charges can be calculated using the formula:
U = (1/4πε_0) * ∑∑q_iq_j/r_ij
where ε_0 is the permittivity of free space, q_i and q_j are the magnitudes of the point charges, and r_ij is the distance between them.

In this case, we have an equilateral triangle with edges of length s = 50 cm. The distance between any two charges is also s. So we can write:
U = (1/4πε_0) * (q1q2/s + q1q3/s + q2q3/s)

Substituting the values given in the problem, we get:
U = (1/4πε_0) * (-1*2 + (-1)*3 + 2*3)/0.5
U = -18.0 * 10^-3 J or -18.0 mJ

Therefore, the answer is B) -18.0 mJ.

Use the Following Figure to Answer the Next Problem