How Do You Determine Potential Energy in Electric Field Calculations?

[BuBbLeS01]

Electric Field and WORK...HELP...test TOMORROW!

Can someone explain to me when I am calculating work and W = Delta U + Delta K. How do I know when there is potential energy? This is for electric fields. I know there is Kinetic when the charge is moving.

 

[rock.freak667]

Are you talking about work done by an electric field?

 

[BuBbLeS01]

yes.

 

[rock.freak667]

Usually I do not think you consider gravitational potential energy as what you consider are very small point charges. What exactly do you need to know?

 

[BuBbLeS01]

I want to know when do I know there is electric potential energy involved. Because in some of my problems when we calculate the work done we only include kinetic or only include potential and sometime both. But I don't know how to decipher when to use which ones? I hope I am making some sense : )

 

[rock.freak667]

Hmmm...Well I cannot say for sure because that would depend on what the question is.