What is the potential energy of a system of two charges of +1μC and -1μC separat

What is the potential energy of a system of two charges of +1μC and -1μC separated by 0.1m?

What is the potential energy of a system of two charges of +1μC and -1μC separated by 0.1m?

Step 1: Identify the values given in the problem. We have two charges: q1 = +1μC (which is 1 × 10^-6 C) and q2 = -1μC (which is -1 × 10^-6 C). The distance between them, r, is 0.1m.
Step 2: Use the formula for potential energy (U) between two charges: U = k * q1 * q2 / r, where k is the Coulomb's constant (approximately 9 × 10^9 N m²/C²).
Step 3: Substitute the values into the formula: U = (9 × 10^9) * (1 × 10^-6) * (-1 × 10^-6) / 0.1.
Step 4: Calculate the numerator: (9 × 10^9) * (1 × 10^-6) * (-1 × 10^-6) = -9 × 10^-3.
Step 5: Now divide the result by the distance (0.1): U = -9 × 10^-3 / 0.1 = -0.09 J.
Step 6: The potential energy of the system is -0.09 Joules.

No concepts available.