Final answer:
The false statement in the context of two positively charged particles moving away from each other is that the potential energy of the system becomes zero when they no longer interact.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement under question is about the behavior of two positively charged particles as they interact and move away from each other. When two such particles move apart, they convert their electrical potential energy into kinetic energy, thus initially having higher potential energy that decreases as they separate. As the separation between the two positively charged particles increases, the system becomes less stable because the stabilizing attractive forces become weaker, and the repulsive forces that were initially dominant decrease as well. The false statement is (D) - "When the particles are no longer close enough to interact, the potential energy of the system is zero" because the potential energy might approach zero as they move infinitely apart, but in practical scenarios, it never truly reaches zero and depends on the reference point chosen. Energy is indeed released, usually in the form of kinetic energy, as the particles move apart due to the repulsive forces between them.