2.1: Coulomb's Law and the Electrostatic Potential (Problems)
- Page ID
- 119818
PROBLEM \(\PageIndex{1}\)
Would you expect two like charges close together to have a relative potential energy above or below 0?
- Answer
-
Like charges should have energies above 0.
PROBLEM \(\PageIndex{2}\)
Would you expect two like charges far apart to have a relative potential energy above or below 0?
- Answer
-
Like charges should have energies above 0.
PROBLEM \(\PageIndex{3}\)
Would you expect two opposite charges far apart to have a relative potential energy above or below 0?
- Answer
-
opposite charges should have energies below 0.
PROBLEM \(\PageIndex{4}\)
Rank the following scenarios from HIGHEST (most positive) to LOWEST (most negative) relative potential energy.
a. +3, -2 charges, 100 angstroms apart
b. +1, -1 charges, 200 angstroms apart
c. +1, +1 charges, 200 angstroms apart
d. -3, -3 charges, 100 angstroms apart
- Answer
-
d, c, b, a
- Click here for a video of the solution
Contributors
Paul Flowers (University of North Carolina - Pembroke), Klaus Theopold (University of Delaware) and Richard Langley (Stephen F. Austin State University) with contributing authors. Textbook content produced by OpenStax College is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 license. Download for free at http://cnx.org/contents/85abf193-2bd...a7ac8df6@9.110).
- Adelaide Clark, Oregon Institute of Technology
Feedback
Think one of the answers above is wrong? Let us know here.