It looks like you have additional information to provide such as the charges of q1,q2, q3 also your equation for electric potential energy is incorrect should be:alicemunro said:Homework Statement
A positive charge, q1 is at (-20cm,0). An equal and opposite charge q2 is at (20cm, 0). A positive charge q3, equal to q1, is placed at (60cm,0). What is the potential energy of the three charges??
Homework Equations
EPE= kq / r
The Attempt at a Solution
EPE = k( (5 X 10^-9)/.2) + (5 X 10^-6)/.6) - (5 X 10^-6)/.2))
= wrong answer
Electrical potential energy is the energy that a charged particle possesses due to its position in an electric field. It is a form of potential energy that can be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy, when the charged particle moves within the electric field.
The units of electrical potential energy are joules (J) in the International System of Units (SI). However, it can also be measured in electron volts (eV) in some contexts, where 1 eV is equal to 1.602 × 10^-19 J.
The electrical potential energy of a system of charges can be calculated using the equation U = kQq/r, where k is the Coulomb constant (9 × 10^9 N·m^2/C^2), Q and q are the magnitudes of the two charges, and r is the distance between them.
Yes, electrical potential energy can be negative. This occurs when the two charges in the system have opposite signs, resulting in an attractive force between them. In this case, the potential energy is considered to be negative because work must be done to separate the charges and overcome the attractive force.
The arrangement of charges can significantly affect the electrical potential energy of a system. In the example of three charges in a line, the potential energy will be different depending on the distance between the charges and the order in which they are arranged. Generally, the closer the charges are and the more symmetric the arrangement, the lower the potential energy will be.