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Electric Potential Energy Formula:
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Electric potential energy is the energy stored in a system of charged particles due to their positions relative to each other. It represents the work done to assemble the charges from infinity to their current configuration.
The calculator uses Coulomb's law for electric potential energy:
Where:
Explanation: The equation calculates the potential energy between two point charges. Like charges produce positive potential energy (repulsive), while opposite charges produce negative potential energy (attractive).
Details: Calculating electric potential energy is essential for understanding electrostatic interactions, designing electrical systems, analyzing atomic and molecular structures, and solving problems in electromagnetism and quantum mechanics.
Tips: Enter both charges in Coulombs (can be positive or negative), and the distance between them in meters. Distance must be greater than zero. The calculator will compute the electric potential energy in Joules.
Q1: What is Coulomb's constant?
A: Coulomb's constant (k = 8.99 × 10⁹ N·m²/C²) is the proportionality constant in Coulomb's law that relates the force between two charges to their magnitudes and distance.
Q2: Can the potential energy be negative?
A: Yes, when the two charges have opposite signs, the potential energy is negative, indicating an attractive force between them.
Q3: How does distance affect electric potential energy?
A: Electric potential energy is inversely proportional to the distance between charges. As distance increases, potential energy decreases in magnitude.
Q4: What are typical charge values used in calculations?
A: Elementary charge is approximately 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C. Macroscopic charges are typically in microcoulombs (10⁻⁶ C) to millicoulombs (10⁻³ C) range.
Q5: How is this different from electric potential?
A: Electric potential energy is the energy of a system of charges, while electric potential is the potential energy per unit charge at a point in space.