A charge of #2# #C# is at the origin. How much energy would be applied to or released from a #-3# #C# charge if it is moved from # ( 6 , 4 ) # to #(-3 ,2 ) #?
1 Answer
Aug 5, 2016
The key to this problem is to find the change in the distance between the two charges. The change in energy will be given by
Explanation:
Initial separation:
Final separation:
Difference:
The change in the energy will be:
Since the charges are opposite and they have become closer, the energy of the charge system has decreased, so energy will have been lost to the environment.