Question

Four small point charges (each of equal magnitude q) are placed at four corners of a regular tetrahedron of side a. find out potential energy of charge system

Answer 1

Potential energy of system : `U=U_(12)+U_(13)+U_(14)+U_(23)+U_(24)+U_(34)`
`:. =(-kq^(2))/a+(kq^(2))/a+(-kq^(2))/a+(-kq^(2))/a+(kq^(2))/a+(-kq^(2))/a`

Total potential energy of this charge system `U=(-2kq^(2))/a`