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 of two particles is given by the formula U = kQ1Q2/r, where Q1 and Q2 are the charges of particles, r is the distance between these particles and k is Coulomb's constant (9x10^9 Nm^2/C^2).

Substituting the given values, we get:

U = (9x10^9 Nm^2/C^2) * (5.5x10^-6 C) * (-2.3x10^-8 C) / (0.035 m)
U = -3.3x10^-19 J

This negative sign indicates that the potential energy of the system decreases as the particles move towards each other. Therefore, the potential energy at infinite separation is higher (i.e., less negative) than the potential energy at 3.5 cm separation.

Hence, the best choice is (B) -3.3x10^-19 J, which represents the potential energy of the system relative to the potential energy at infinite separation.

A Particle with a Charge of 5