How much work is done by the electric field in moving a +2C charge from a location with a potential of +4V to a location with a potential of -6V?
a 4 J
b 8 J
c 12 J
d 20 J
volts is potential energy per unit charge
so
2 C * 10 V = 20 Joules
To find the amount of work done by the electric field in moving a charge between two locations with different potentials, you need to calculate the change in potential energy.
The formula for calculating the work done by the electric field is:
Work = Change in Potential Energy = q * (ΔV)
Where:
q is the charge (in coulombs)
ΔV is the change in potential (in volts)
In this case, the charge is +2C, the change in potential is -6V - (+4V) = -10V.
Work = 2C * (-10V) = -20 J
Notice that the work done is negative. This means that the electric field is doing work against the movement of the charge, which implies that an external force is needed to move the charge from +4V to -6V.
Therefore, the correct answer is d) -20 J.