electrostatic attraction
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electrostatic attraction
Can anyone please explain what electrostatic potential energy is? Ane how would it affect the interaction of electrons and atoms?
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Re: electrostatic attraction
Hello! To my understanding, potential energy is the stored energy of something (in this case a charge or an electron) to do work, due to its position or place. Electrostatic potential energy (otherwise known as Coloumbic potential energy) is the stored energy between two charges due to the distance between them and the strength of the charges.
If you remember Coulomb's law, U = k*(q1q2/r^2), U is the potential energy, k is the Coulombic constant, q1 and q2 are the magnitude of the two charges, and r is the distance between them. This equation tells you that the stronger the two charges are, the greater the potential energy between them. And the further apart they are (r or distance), the weaker the potential energy between them. Also keep in mind that this equation is written with the idea of point charges in mind. It doesn't work for fields or anything other than two distinct charges.
Hope this made sense! Good luck in your studying.
If you remember Coulomb's law, U = k*(q1q2/r^2), U is the potential energy, k is the Coulombic constant, q1 and q2 are the magnitude of the two charges, and r is the distance between them. This equation tells you that the stronger the two charges are, the greater the potential energy between them. And the further apart they are (r or distance), the weaker the potential energy between them. Also keep in mind that this equation is written with the idea of point charges in mind. It doesn't work for fields or anything other than two distinct charges.
Hope this made sense! Good luck in your studying.
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