How Do Like Charges Exert Force Without Using Energy?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the nature of forces exerted by like charges and the role of energy in this interaction. Participants explore the relationship between force, energy, and electric fields, with a focus on electrostatic potential energy and the conditions under which forces act without energy expenditure.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asserts that energy is required for exerting a force, suggesting a proportional relationship between energy, force, and time.
  • Another participant counters that the energy comes from the electric field and emphasizes that no energy is needed to maintain a force, citing stationary charges as an example.
  • A further contribution reiterates the idea that the energy is related to the electric field and introduces the concept of electrostatic potential energy, suggesting that work done to position the charges is stored as potential energy.
  • One participant challenges the validity of the initial claims about energy and force, stating that neither of those statements is true.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express disagreement regarding the necessity of energy for exerting forces between like charges. Multiple competing views exist about the role of energy and the electric field in this context.

Contextual Notes

Some statements made by participants depend on specific definitions of energy and force, and the discussion does not resolve the underlying assumptions about these concepts.

aditya ver.2.0
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We all know that energy is required for exerting a pull or push on anything. The amount of energy exerted is proportional to the amount of force exerted and the time period. So if we place 2 like charges near each other, then what energy do they utilize to exert repulsion force on each other.
 
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The energy comes from the electric field.

Note: no energy is required to get a force - consider the case of stationary charges, or a magnet stuck to a fridge.
What you are thinking of is the change of energy.
 
Simon Bridge said:
The energy comes from the electric field.

Absolutely... and if you want to think of this in terms of energy, its called "Electrostatic potential energy"
Someone must have done work to bring those two charges in that position.. and the work did by that "someone" got stored up as the potential energy.
 
aditya ver.2.0 said:
We all know that energy is required for exerting a pull or push on anything. The amount of energy exerted is proportional to the amount of force exerted and the time period.
Neither of those statements is true.
 

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