A particle with a charge of 5.5 *10^-⁶ C is 3.5 cm from a particle with a charge of -2.3 *10^-⁸ C. The potential energy of this two-particle system, relative to the potential energy at infinite separation, is:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The potential energy (U) between two point charges is given by the formula: U = k * (q1 * q2) / r, where k is Coulomb's constant (8.99 x 10^9 N m²/C²), q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the separation distance. Substituting the given values, U = (8.99 x 10^9) * (5.5 x 10^-6) * (-2.3 x 10^-8) / 0.035, which results in a negative value, indicating an attractive interaction.

A Particle with a Charge of 5