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rpthomps
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Is the 100 J of electric potential energy actually greater than -100 J of electric potential energy?
Given the way the question is phrased and the units that are used, I would interpret it to be about the potential energy of two configurations of the same system. One with a potential energy 100 J more than an arbitrary reference potential and one with 100 J less than the arbitrary reference.rpthomps said:Is the 100 J of electric potential energy actually greater than -100 J of electric potential energy?
Sounds fair and I can't find fault with that. The question could either require a totally theoretical answer or something practical. We would need the OP to give us a bit of help with the context. What does he actually want to know and why?jbriggs444 said:Given the way the question is phrased and the units that are used, I would interpret it to be about the potential energy of two configurations of the same system. One with a potential energy 100 J more than an arbitrary reference potential and one with 100 J less than the arbitrary reference.
Clearly, one has 200 J less electrical potential energy than the other.
Or it might have the syntax of a question but be devoid of semantics.sophiecentaur said:The question could either require a totally theoretical answer or something practical.
Electric potential energy is a form of potential energy that results from the interaction between electric charges. It is the amount of work that can be done by an electric force as a result of the position or configuration of the charges.
The sign of the electric potential energy indicates the direction of the electric force. A positive value indicates that the charges are repelling each other, while a negative value indicates that the charges are attracting each other. Comparing 100J and -100J of electric potential energy allows us to determine the direction of the electric force between two charges.
No, electric potential energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy or thermal energy.
Electric potential energy is measured in joules (J), which is the standard unit of energy. It can also be measured in electron-volts (eV), which is a smaller unit of energy commonly used in atomic and subatomic physics.
The electric potential energy between two charges is directly proportional to the magnitude of the charges and inversely proportional to the distance between them. This means that as the distance between charges increases, the electric potential energy decreases, and vice versa.