How much work in eV is required to bring three charges of 6.8x10-18C from a great distance apart to 5.04x10-9m from one another (at the corners of an equilateral triangle)?
To calculate the work done to bring the charges together, we need to find the electric potential energy (electric potential energy is measured in joules, not electron volts). Here's how you can calculate it:
1. Calculate the electric potential energy between two charges using the formula:
U = k * q1 * q2 / r
where U is the electric potential energy,
k is the electrostatic constant (9 x 10^9 N m^2 / C^2),
q1 and q2 are the charges, and
r is the distance between the charges.
In this case, since we have three charges, we need to calculate the potential energy for each pair of charges and add them up.
2. First, calculate the potential energy between two charges of 6.8x10^-18 C separated by a distance of 5.04x10^-9 m. Using the formula, we have:
U1 = (9 x 10^9 N m^2 / C^2) * (6.8x10^-18 C) * (6.8x10^-18 C) / (5.04x10^-9 m)
3. Since there are three charges forming an equilateral triangle, we need to calculate the potential energy for each pair of charges and sum them up. Each pair of charges would have the same magnitude, so the total work is:
Total potential energy = 3 * U1
4. The total potential energy can be converted to electron volts (eV) using the conversion factor of 1 eV = 1.6 x 10^-19 J.
Work in eV = Total potential energy / (1.6 x 10^-19 J/eV)
By following these steps and plugging in the given values, you should be able to calculate the work in eV required to bring the charges together.