Do gravitational and electrostatic potential energies cancel when equal and opposite?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
1 reply · 2K views
benedwards2020
Messages
40
Reaction score
0
This question concerns 2 positively charges masses at a certain distance apart.

If I have a value for gravitational potential energy of

-3.6e-12 J

And a value for electrostatic potential energy of

3.6e-12 J

Would I be right in saying that the overall potential energy of the system is zero?

Would I also be correct in saying that at infinite distance apart, gravitational and electrostatic potential is also zero?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Yes. In fact, total potential energy at any distance would be zero, since the gravitational and electrostatic potential scale the same with distance.