A charge of 5 μC is placed in an electric field of 2000 N/C. What is the electri
Practice Questions
Q1
A charge of 5 μC is placed in an electric field of 2000 N/C. What is the electric potential energy of the charge?
10 mJ
1 mJ
0.5 mJ
2 mJ
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A charge of 5 μC is placed in an electric field of 2000 N/C. What is the electric potential energy of the charge?
Step 1: Understand the formula for electric potential energy (U), which is U = Charge × Electric Field.
Step 2: Identify the charge value, which is given as 5 μC (microcoulombs). Convert this to coulombs: 5 μC = 5 × 10^-6 C.
Step 3: Identify the electric field value, which is given as 2000 N/C.
Step 4: Plug the values into the formula: U = (5 × 10^-6 C) × (2000 N/C).
Step 5: Calculate the result: U = 5 × 2000 × 10^-6 = 10000 × 10^-6 = 0.01 J.
Step 6: Convert joules to millijoules: 0.01 J = 10 mJ.
Electric Potential Energy – Electric potential energy is the energy a charge possesses due to its position in an electric field, calculated as the product of the charge and the electric field strength.
Units of Measurement – Understanding the units involved, such as microcoulombs (μC) for charge and newtons per coulomb (N/C) for electric field strength, is crucial for accurate calculations.