Suppose you have two positive point charges and want to move them closer together.To do the least amount of work,you should move them directly toward each other;any other path will require more work because the charges must move through a greater distance.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The work done depends on the change in electric potential energy, not the path taken. Moving charges directly toward each other increases repulsion, requiring more work regardless of the path.

Suppose You Have Two Positive Point Charges and Want to Move