Item RG129002: Decreasing the distance between the two positively charged particles and increasing the magnitude of the charge of the particles would increase the amount of electrostatic potential energy in the system.
Two positively charged particles are held in position as shown in the figure below.
Which of the following changes would increase the amount of electrostatic potential energy in the system of two particles described above?
- Decreasing the distance between the two particles and increasing the magnitude of the charge of the particles
- Increasing the distance between the two particles and decreasing the magnitude of the charge of the particles
- Maintaining the distance between the two charges but replacing both particles with negatively charged particles of the same magnitude
- None of the changes described above would increase the electrostatic potential energy of the system.
- Distribution of Responses

- Scale Score for Item Difficulty
(200[Easy]-800[Difficult]) - 502
- Students Responding Correctly
Group | Correct | Total | Percent |
---|---|---|---|
Overall | 1775 | 4382 | 41% |
Grades | |||
4–5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
6–8 | 923 | 2520 | 37% |
9–12 | 852 | 1862 | 46% |
Gender | |||
Male | 878 | 2132 | 41% |
Female | 861 | 2162 | 40% |
Primary Language | |||
English | 1594 | 3811 | 42% |
Other | 144 | 478 | 30% |
- Disciplinary Core Ideas
- PS3.A A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions.
PS3.C When two objects interacting through a field change relative position, the energy stored in the field is changed. - NRC Framework
- Energy is also stored in the electric fields between charged particles and the magnetic fields between magnets, and it changes when these objects are moved relative to one another.