Electricity Confusion: True or False?

AI Thread Summary
Positive charges move in the direction of the electric field, while negative charges move against it. Allowing a charge to follow the field lines results in a loss of potential energy, whereas forcing it against the field lines results in a gain. Protons are considered to go with the flow, gaining kinetic energy, while electrons go against it. The direction of motion aligns with the field lines only if the particle starts from rest, as inertia affects velocity. Overall, the discussion clarifies the relationship between charge movement, electric potential, and energy dynamics.
MrMumbleX
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PLEASE help me by telling me if the following is true (below, when I say going with the flow I mean following the direction of electric field, and when I saw going against flow I mean going in opposite direction of electric field)

Positive charges go with the flow
Negative charges go against the flow
Letting something do what it want to do is loss of energy (I.E., letting gas expand; letting a positive charge go in direction of field lines)
Making it do what it doesn’t want to do is gain of energy (I.E., compressing gas; forcing a positive charge go in direction opposite field lines)
Going with flow is loss of V
Going against flow is gain of V
ALL charged particles go from high PE to low PE
Positive charges go from high electric potential to low electric potential
Negative charges go from low electric potential to high electric potential

This is all based on the equations Delta PE = -qE(Delta X), Delta V = (Delta PE)/q, and V = -E(Delta X), V is voltage (potential difference), q is charge, E is electric field in the x-axis, and X is the position in the x-axis.
 
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MrMumbleX said:
PLEASE help me by telling mel me if the following is true (below, when I say going with the flow I mean following the field lines direction, and when I saw going against flow I mean going in opposite direction of field lines)

Protons go with the flow
Electrons go against the flow
Letting it do what it wants is loss of energy
Letting it do what it doesn’t want is gain of energy
Going with flow is loss of V
Going against flow is gain of V

This is all based on the equations Delta PE = -qE(Delta X), Delta V = (Delta PE)/q, and V = -E(Delta X), V is voltage (potential difference), q is charge, E is electric field in the x-axis, and X is the position in the x-axis.

That will basically be true if you replace energy by potential energy (e.g. "Letting it do what it wants is loss of potential energy"), but of course total energy is conserved and a proton "going with the flow" will gain kinetic energy.

Another thing is that the direction of motion will be along the field lines only if the particle starts from rest and you look just an instant later. A particle has inertia, so its acceleration will go in the direction of the field or directly opposite, but its velocity does not need to.
 
Yeah I meant potential energy
 
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