Question

When a negative charge is released and moves in electric field, it moves toward a position of :

• A. lower electric potential and lower potential energy
• B. lower electric potential and higher potential energy
• C. higher electric potential and lower potential energy
• D. higher electric potential and higher potential energy

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

higher electric potential and lower potential energy

Negative charge will tend to move towards higher electric potential because of the strong Coulomb attraction. Hence it moves towards a position of $higherelectricpotential$.
Potential energy of a system of fixed point charges is equal to the work that must be done by an external agent to bring each charge in from infinite distance. Hence the charge will try to tend to move towards $lowpotentialenergy$.