Did I Calculate Electric Potential Energy Correctly?

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the potential energy of two point charges separated by a certain distance. The individual steps involve finding the potential difference and electric potential energy for each charge, and then adding them together to get the total potential energy. It is mentioned that the answer will be negative due to one of the charges having a negative value. However, it is later revealed that the problem was canceled due to a grading error.
  • #1
Xenocite
5
0
I did all I can, and I'm stressed out over this. Thus, here I am. :(

Here's the question (I substitute the numbers with alphabet letters):

>Two point charges of magnitude of A nC and -B nC are separated by D m distance.
>The acceleration of gravity is 9.8 m/s^2. The Coulomb constant, k, is 9x10^9 N*m^2/C^2.
>What is the potential energy of the PAIR of charges? Answer in units of J.

So, what I did was find the potential difference, V, between the 2 charges, q1 and q2, at their respective points which has the distance of D using the equation:

V1 = (k*q1)/D
V2 = (k*q2)/D

Then find the electric potential energy(EPE) for each charge with the equation:

EPE1 = V1 * q2
EPE2 = V2 * q1

*(EPE1 and EPE2 are basically the same number)

And the total potential energy of the 2 charges is:

EPE(net) = EPE1 + EPE2

Answer is negative because q2 is -B which has negative value x 10^-9

If anyone spot any error or have any idea of what I did wrong, please do tell. Perhaps, I missed a step of taking acceleration of gravity into account somewhere? Thanks.
 
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  • #2
You have calculated the electrical potential energy, but what about gravitational potential energy?
 
  • #3
I've just now received an email from my professor that this problem was canceled due to computer grading error. I believe what I did as correct though. Thanks for all the help :)
 

Related to Did I Calculate Electric Potential Energy Correctly?

What is electric potential energy?

Electric potential energy is the energy that a charged particle possesses due to its position in an electric field. It is the potential energy that a charged particle has because of its location in an electric field, relative to other charged particles.

How is electric potential energy different from electric potential?

Electric potential energy is the potential energy that a charged particle possesses due to its position in an electric field, while electric potential is the amount of electric potential energy per unit charge at a specific point in an electric field.

What factors affect the amount of electric potential energy?

The amount of electric potential energy is affected by the magnitude of the charges involved, the distance between them, and the type of medium between the charges. It is also affected by the direction of the electric field and the relative position of the charges.

How is electric potential energy calculated?

The electric potential energy between two point charges can be calculated using the formula U = (k*q1*q2)/r, where U is the electric potential energy, k is the Coulomb's constant, q1 and q2 are the charges, and r is the distance between the charges.

What are some real-life applications of electric potential energy?

Electric potential energy is used in many everyday devices such as batteries, generators, and electric motors. It is also used in power plants to generate electricity and in electric circuits to power electronic devices. Additionally, electric potential energy is used in medical equipment such as MRI machines and defibrillators.

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