How does the movement of electrons relate to potential energy?

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Ricardo Carrillo

Chemistry

2 January, 14:43

How does the movement of electrons relate to potential energy?

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Pumpkin · Answer 1

Potential energy is more familiar to us by the equation: PE = mgh. We always correlate height or any given distance with potential energy. The movement of the electrons would have great potential energy if the electrons are far away from each other. Ultimately, it is the energy that attracts the electrons to the nucleus of the atom so that they don't direct away from their 'orbit'.