If two electrons were fired directly at each other at high speeds what would be the change in their kinetic and potential energies
When two electrons are fired directly at each other at high speeds, several things can happen. In classical physics, as the electrons approach each other, they would experience a strong electromagnetic repulsion and would get deflected from their initial path. However, at high speeds, relativistic effects need to be taken into account.
In relativistic physics, as the electrons approach each other, they would experience an increase in kinetic energy due to their high speeds. This results from their relativistic mass being higher than their rest mass. The increase in kinetic energy leads to an increase in their speeds.
On the other hand, the potential energy between the two electrons would decrease. This is because the electromagnetic potential energy between two charged particles is given by the inverse of the distance between them. As the distance between the two electrons decreases, the potential energy decreases.
Overall, the change in kinetic energy would be an increase, while the change in potential energy would be a decrease.