Electric Potential Energy

Part of the Electricity and Magnetism section of Coddy's Physics journey. Lesson 10 of 51.

Pushing like charges together stores electric potential energy. For two point charges, zero when far apart:

$U = k\,\frac{q_1 q_2}{r}$

with the signs of the charges: positive for like charges, negative for opposite ones.

Released, the charges turn U into kinetic energy, and the total stays the same:

$\mathrm{KE} + U = \text{constant}$

Two charges

Challenge

Two small charges, $2\ \mathrm{\mu C}$ and $3\ \mathrm{\mu C}$ , sit $0.3\ \mathrm{m}$ apart. How much electric potential energy $U$ do they store?

Try it yourself

Solve for $U$

Test yourself

This lesson includes a short quiz. Start the lesson to answer it and track your progress.

All lessons in Electricity and Magnetism

1Electric Charge and Force

4Charged Conductors

7Real Batteries

10Magnetic Fields

2The Electric Field

5Capacitors

8Kirchhoff's Laws

11Magnetic Forces

3Energy and Potential

6Current and Resistance

9Capacitors in Circuits

12Induction