Potential Energy: Balance of Gravitational & Electrostatic Energies

[benedwards2020]

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?

 

[Dick]

Yes. In fact, total potential energy at any distance would be zero, since the gravitational and electrostatic potential scale the same with distance.