Question

When two oppositely charged particles that are not interacting get close enough to interact with one another, is the change in energy positive or negative?

a) Positive
b) Negative
c) No change in energy
d) Depends on the charge magnitude

Answer 1

When two oppositely charged particles that are not interacting get close enough to interact with one another, the change in energy is negative.

Step-by-step explanation:

When two oppositely charged particles that are not interacting get close enough to interact with one another, the change in energy is negative.

This is because the force between oppositely charged particles is attractive. As the particles move closer together, the potential energy of the system decreases. Since potential energy is proportional to 1/r, where r is the distance between the particles, the potential energy decreases when the distance decreases.

Therefore, when oppositely charged particles get close enough to interact, the change in energy is negative.