A charge of 4 μC is placed in an electric field of 1000 N/C. What is the potenti
Practice Questions
Q1
A charge of 4 μC is placed in an electric field of 1000 N/C. What is the potential energy of the charge?
4 mJ
2 mJ
1 mJ
0.5 mJ
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A charge of 4 μC is placed in an electric field of 1000 N/C. What is the potential energy of the charge?
Step 1: Identify the charge (q) which is given as 4 μC (microcoulombs). Convert this to coulombs: 4 μC = 4 × 10^-6 C.
Step 2: Identify the electric field strength (E) which is given as 1000 N/C.
Step 3: Assume a distance (d) to calculate potential (V). We will use d = 1 m for simplicity.
Step 4: Calculate the potential (V) using the formula V = E * d. Substitute E = 1000 N/C and d = 1 m: V = 1000 N/C * 1 m = 1000 V.
Step 5: Calculate the potential energy (U) using the formula U = q * V. Substitute q = 4 × 10^-6 C and V = 1000 V: U = 4 × 10^-6 C * 1000 V = 4 × 10^-3 J.
Step 6: Convert the potential energy from joules to millijoules: 4 × 10^-3 J = 4 mJ.
Electric Potential Energy – The potential energy of a charge in an electric field is calculated using the formula U = q * V, where V is the electric potential, which can be derived from the electric field E and the distance d.
Electric Field and Potential – Understanding the relationship between electric field (E), potential (V), and distance (d) is crucial for solving problems related to electric potential energy.