A point charge is a hypothetical charge located at a single point in space with no physical size or structure. It is used to simplify the analysis of electric fields and forces in electrostatic problems.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
The electric field produced by a point charge decreases with the square of the distance from the charge, following Coulomb's law: $E = \frac{kQ}{r^2}$.
The direction of the electric field created by a positive point charge is radially outward, while it is radially inward for a negative point charge.
Point charges are idealizations that help simplify calculations in electrostatics; real charges often have spatial extent but can be approximated as point charges if they are small enough.
When multiple point charges are present, the net electric field at any location is found by vector addition of the individual fields produced by each charge.
The potential energy of a system of two point charges depends on their magnitudes and separation distance: $U = \frac{kQ_1Q_2}{r}$.