Chapter 33, Problem 35A

If you put in 10 joules of work to push 1 coulomb of charge against an electric field, what will be its voltage with respect to its starting position? When released, what will be its kinetic energy if it flies past its Starting position?

To determine

The voltage with respect to starting position and the kinetic energy.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

The energy possessed by a charge due to its position in an electric field is called electrical potential energy.

The energy possessed by a charge due to its motion in an electric field is called electrical kinetic energy.

When work is done to push a charged particle against the electric field, then the electrical potential energy is increased. Voltage is given by: $V=\frac{W}{q}$

So, when 10 joules of work is done to push 1 coulomb of charge against electric field, then the voltage can be given as: $V=\frac{10\text{ J}}{1\text{ C}}=10\text{ V}$

Hence, the voltage will be 10 volts. When the charge is released, it will move away from its starting position and the potential energy will get converted into kinetic energy. So, the kinetic energy will be 10 joules.

Conclusion:

Voltage with respect to its starting point is 10 V and the kinetic energy when the charge is released is 10 joules.