According to Coulomb's law, which pair of charged particles...

According to Coulomb's law, which pair of charged particles has the lowest potential energy? \begin{equation} \begin{array}{l}{\text { a. a particle with a } 1-\text { charge separated by } 150 \mathrm{pm} \text { from a }} \\ {\text { particle with a } 2+\text { charge }} \\ {\text { b. a particle with a } 1-\text { charge separated by } 150 \mathrm{pm} \text { from a }} \\ {\text { particle with a } 1+\text { charge }} \\ {\text { c. a particle with a } 1-\text { charge separated by } 100 \mathrm{pm} \text { from a }} \\ {\text { particle with a } 3+\text { charge }}\end{array} \end{equation}

According to Coulomb's law, which pair of charged particles has the lowest potential energy?
\begin{equation}
\begin{array}{l}{\text { a. a particle with a } 1-\text { charge separated by } 150 \mathrm{pm} \text { from a }} \\ {\text { particle with a } 2+\text { charge }} \\ {\text { b. a particle with a } 1-\text { charge separated by } 150 \mathrm{pm} \text { from a }} \\ {\text { particle with a } 1+\text { charge }} \\ {\text { c. a particle with a } 1-\text { charge separated by } 100 \mathrm{pm} \text { from a }} \\ {\text { particle with a } 3+\text { charge }}\end{array}
\end{equation}

Key Concepts

Coulomb's Law

Coulomb's law quantifies the force between two point charges. It states that the magnitude of the electrostatic force between the charges is directly proportional to the product of the absolute values of the charges and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This principle is foundational for understanding interactions in electrostatic systems.

Electrostatic Potential Energy

Electrostatic potential energy is the energy stored in a system of charged particles due to their positions relative to one another. It is calculated using the product of the charges divided by the distance, scaled by a constant, and it indicates the work done to bring the charges from infinity to their positions in space.

Influence of Charge Magnitude and Distance

The potential energy is affected by both the magnitude of the interacting charges and their separation distance. A larger product of the charges results in a greater interaction, and a shorter distance increases the magnitude of the potential energy, making these factors crucial when determining the stability or energy of a charged system.

Sign of the Potential Energy

The sign of the electrostatic potential energy indicates whether the interaction between charges is attractive or repulsive. Negative potential energy signifies an attractive interaction, which is generally more energetically favorable, while positive potential energy corresponds to repulsion. Recognizing the role of the sign helps in determining the most stable configuration of charged particles.

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