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Prob 2.1 Extension (Extra Credit Problem)

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20 views4 pages

Prob 2.1 Extension (Extra Credit Problem)

Uploaded by

內湖高工-謝欣翰
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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English:

Prob 2.1 extension (extra credit problem)


n (n ≥ 3) equal charges, q, are situated at the corners of a regular n-sided polygon.
Show that the E-field at the center is zero.

繁體中文:
問題 2.1 延伸 (額外加分題)
n 個 (n ≥ 3) 相等的電荷，q，位於正 n 邊形的頂點。
證明中心處的 E 場為零。

解答 (Answer):
English:
To show that the electric field at the center of the polygon is zero, consider the symmetry of the
configuration.

1. Each charge q produces an electric field at the center of the polygon.


2. The direction of the electric field from each charge points radially outward (or inward,
depending on the sign of the charge) from its respective vertex toward the center.
3. Due to the symmetry of the regular n-sided polygon, the magnitude of the electric fields
produced by all the charges is the same, but the directions differ.
4. The electric fields are evenly spaced around the center at equal angles because the
polygon is regular.
5. The vector sum of these electric fields will cancel out due to the symmetry. For every
electric field produced by one charge, there is another charge whose electric field points
in the opposite direction but with equal magnitude.
6. Thus, the total electric field at the center is the vector sum of all the individual electric
fields, which equals zero.

Hence, the electric field at the center is zero.

繁體中文:
要證明多邊形中心的電場為零，我們可以利用對稱性的特性。

1. 每個電荷 q 都會在多邊形的中心產生一個電場。
2. 每個電荷的電場方向從其頂點徑向指向中心，或者遠離中心，視電荷的符號而定。
3. 由於這是一個正 n 邊形，其對稱性導致每個電荷產生的電場大小相等，但方向不同。
4. 這些電場在中心處的角度均勻分佈，因為多邊形是正多邊形。
5. 由於對稱性，這些電場的向量和將會互相抵消。對於每一個電荷所產生的電場，總有另一
個電荷產生的電場方向相反且大小相等。
6. 因此，所有電場的向量和為零。

因此，中心處的電場為零。
Here is the diagram that illustrates the regular nnn-sided polygon with equal charges at the
vertices. It shows how the electric field vectors from each charge point radially toward the center
and cancel out symmetrically, resulting in a net electric field of zero at the center.

這是正 n 邊形的圖示，每個頂點都有一個相等的電荷 q，並且每個頂點的電場向量徑向指向中


心。由於對稱性，這些電場向量會互相抵消，使得中心處的總電場為零。

使用數學歸納法來證明 n 個電荷在正 n邊形的頂點時，中心處的電場為零，我們可以分兩步進行


：基礎步驟 和 歸納步驟。

1. 基礎步驟：當 n=3 時
當 n=3 時，這是一個正三角形，其三個頂點放置了相等的電荷 q。根據對稱性，三個電荷所產生
的電場向量大小相同，並且均勻分佈在中心周圍，彼此之間夾角均為 120 度。由於每兩個電場的
合力會抵消第三個電場，總電場為零。

因此，對於 n=3時，中心的電場確實為零。

2. 歸納步驟：假設 n=kn = kn=k 時中心電場為零，證明 n=k+1時也為零


假設對於一個正 k 邊形，其頂點有 k 個電荷，中心處的電場為零。現在考慮正 (k+1) 邊形的情況，
我們在正 k 邊形的基礎上新增一個頂點和一個電荷。

這個新增的電荷會產生一個新的電場向量，但由於這個 (k+1)邊形依然是正多邊形，因此依然保
持完全對稱性。每個電場向量的大小相等，並且均勻分佈於中心周圍。因此，這些電場向量之間
的角度和合力依然會互相抵消，從而使中心處的總電場仍然為零。

3. 結論
由基礎步驟 n=3 的情況可知，中心的電場為零。由歸納步驟可知，當 n=k 時中心電場為零，則
n=k+1 時中心電場也為零。因此，根據數學歸納法，對於任意 n≥3的情況，正 n 邊形的中心電場
均為零。

Using mathematical induction to prove that the electric field at the center of a regular n-sided
polygon with equal charges at its vertices is zero, we can proceed with two steps: base case
and inductive step.

1. Base Case: When n=3


When n=3, the charges are placed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. Due to symmetry,
the electric field vectors produced by the three charges are of equal magnitude and are directed
toward the center. These vectors are spaced 120 degrees apart. Since the electric fields from
each pair of charges cancel out the third, the total electric field at the center is zero.

Thus, for n=3, the electric field at the center is indeed zero.

2. Inductive Step: Assume for n=kk, and prove for n=k+1


Now, assume that for a regular kkk-sided polygon with charges at its vertices, the electric field at
the center is zero. We need to prove that for a regular (k+1)-sided polygon, the electric field at
the center is also zero.

By adding one more charge and vertex to form a (k+1)-sided polygon, we observe that the new
polygon maintains perfect symmetry. The new charge produces an additional electric field
vector. However, due to the continued symmetry of the configuration, all the electric field vectors
still have the same magnitude and are evenly spaced around the center. These vectors, being
symmetrically distributed, cancel each other out, resulting in a total electric field of zero at the
center.

3. Conclusion
From the base case of n=3, we know that the electric field at the center is zero. From the
inductive step, if the electric field is zero for n=k, it is also zero for n=k+1. Therefore, by
mathematical induction, the electric field at the center of a regular n-sided polygon is zero for
any n≥3.

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