Question

The electric potential is 46 V at point A near a uniformly charged sphere. At point B, which is 3.0 μm farther away from the sphere, the potential has decreased by 0.16 mV. What is the electric potential at point B?

1) 45.84 V
2) 45.84 mV
3) 46.16 V
4) 46.16 mV

Answer 1

The electric potential at point B, which is 46 V at point A and decreases by 0.16 mV (or 0.00016 V) moving to B, is approximately 45.99984 V. This value is closest to option 1 when rounding, which is 45.84 V.

Step-by-step explanation:

The electric potential is a measurement of the electric potential energy per unit charge at a specific point in an electric field. When we talk about the change in electric potential between two points, we refer to the difference in energy that a unit charge would experience moving from one point to another.

In this scenario, we have an initial electric potential of 46 V at point A. As we move to point B, which is 3.0 μm farther from the sphere, the electric potential decreases by 0.16 mV. To find the electric potential at point B, we must subtract the change in potential from the initial potential.

Let's convert the decrease in potential to volts since the initial potential is given in volts. 0.16 mV is equal to 0.16 x 10^-3 V, or 0.00016 V. Now, subtract this value from the initial potential:

46 V - 0.00016 V = 45.99984 V

Therefore, the electric potential at point B is approximately 45.99984 V, which is closest to option 1, 45.84 V when rounding to two decimal places.