When an electron moves 2.5 m in the direction of an electric field, the change in electrical potential energy of the electron is 8x10-17J. What is the strength of the electric field that causes the change in potential energy?
320 N/C
200 N/C
20 N/C
3.2 N/C
I'm clueless, but if I had to guess, I would choose 20 N/C
ΔPE=e•Δφ=e•E•d
E= ΔPE/e•d= 8•10⁻¹⁷/1.6•10⁻¹⁹•2.5=200N/C
Thank you! :)
To find the strength of the electric field that causes the change in potential energy, we can use the formula:
Change in electrical potential energy (ΔPE) = charge of the electron (q) * electric field strength (E) * distance moved (d)
In this case, we are given that the change in electrical potential energy (ΔPE) is 8x10^-17 J and the distance moved (d) is 2.5 m. We need to solve for the electric field strength (E).
We can rearrange the formula to solve for E:
E = ΔPE / (q * d)
Now, the charge of an electron (q) is a fundamental constant with a value of -1.6x10^-19 C.
Substituting the given values into the formula:
E = 8x10^-17 J / (-1.6x10^-19 C * 2.5 m)
Calculating this:
E ≈ -1.25x10^2 N/C
Since the electric field strength should be positive, the correct answer is 1.25x10^2 or 125 N/C. None of the provided options match this answer, so it seems none of the given options are correct.