Rankers Physics
Topic: Electrostatics
Subtopic: Electric Potential

Three positive charges and five negative charges of same magnitude are arrangement as shown in the figure. The magnitude of the electric field and the electric potential at the centre of the circuit (radius r) are given by   Image related to
\[ E=\frac{2kq}{r^{2}}(1+2\sqrt{2}),V=0\]
\[ E=\frac{2kq}{r^{2}}(1+\sqrt{2}),V=\frac{-2qk}{r}\]
\[ E=\frac{2kq}{r^{2}}(1+2\sqrt{2}),V=\frac{-2qk}{r}\]
None of these

Solution:

Electric Potential (\( V \)):

1. Potential at the center due to a charge \( q \) at a distance \( r \) is:
\[
V = \frac{kq}{r}.
\]

2. Total potential is the algebraic sum since potential is scalar. For 3 positive charges and 5 negative charges:
\[
V_{\text{total}} = 3 \cdot \frac{kq}{r} - 5 \cdot \frac{kq}{r} = \frac{-2kq}{r}.
\]

---

Electric Field (\( E \)):

1. Symmetry of arrangement: The charges along the diagonals cancel their horizontal components, leaving only vertical components.

2. Field due to charges along diagonals (\( -q, -q, +q, +q \)):
- Each diagonal pair creates a net field of magnitude:
\[
E_{\text{pair}} = \frac{\sqrt{2}kq}{r^2}.
\]
- Two such pairs contribute:
\[
E_{\text{diagonals}} = 2 \cdot \frac{\sqrt{2}kq}{r^2} = \frac{2\sqrt{2}kq}{r^2}.
\]

3. Field due to the remaining vertical pair (\( -q, -q \)):
- Net field:
\[
E_{\text{vertical}} = \frac{2kq}{r^2}.
\]

4. Total electric field:
\[
E_{\text{total}} = E_{\text{diagonals}} + E_{\text{vertical}} = \frac{2kq}{r^2}(1 + \sqrt{2}).
\]

---

Final Answer:
\[
E = \frac{2kq}{r^2}(1 + \sqrt{2}), \quad V = \frac{-2kq}{r}.
\]

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