An electron with an initial speed of 500,000 m / s is...

An electron with an initial speed of $500,000 \mathrm{m} / \mathrm{s}$ is brought to rest by an electric field.
a. Did the electron move into a region of higher potential or lower potential?
b. What was the potential difference that stopped the electron?

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Key Concepts

Electric Potential

Electric potential is a measure of the potential energy per unit charge at a point in an electric field. It determines how much work would be needed to move a charge from one point to another, and plays a crucial role in understanding how charged particles behave in regions of different potential levels.

Work-Energy Principle

The work-energy principle relates the work done on a particle to its change in kinetic energy. In the context of charged particles, when an electric field does work on a moving charge, this work is reflected in the conversion between kinetic and electric potential energy, allowing us to calculate quantities like the stopping potential required to bring the particle to rest.

Charge Sign and Potential Energy Relationship

The sign of a charge determines how it interacts with electric potentials. For negatively charged particles, like electrons, moving into higher electric potential regions corresponds to an increase in potential energy, which is typically observed as a deceleration. This principle is critical for analyzing scenarios where the kinetic energy of a charged particle is converted to electric potential energy.

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