All Flashcards
What is the effect of increasing the magnitude of charges on electric potential energy?
Increases the electric potential energy.
What is the effect of decreasing the distance between charges on electric potential energy?
Increases the electric potential energy.
What happens to the total energy in a closed system?
The total energy (kinetic + potential) remains constant (Conservation of Energy).
Differentiate between positive and negative electric potential energy.
Positive: Like charges, requires work to bring together. Negative: Unlike charges, attract each other, requires work to separate.
How is electric potential energy related to electric potential (voltage)?
Electric potential energy is the energy a charge has due to its position in an electric field; related to electric potential (voltage) by .
How do you calculate total electric potential energy for multiple charges?
Calculate the potential energy for every unique pair of charges and then sum them up.
What is the first step to solving an electric potential energy problem?
Draw a diagram of the charge configuration.