Which of the following statements about electric potential energy is not correct?

Answer Details

The statement that is not correct is "The electric potential energy of a negatively charged particle increases when it moves to a point of lower potential." This statement contradicts the definition of electric potential energy. Electric potential energy is the energy that a charged particle possesses due to its position in an electric field. The potential energy of a charged particle is directly proportional to the potential difference between two points in the electric field, where the potential difference is defined as the change in potential energy per unit charge. Therefore, a negatively charged particle would move towards a point of higher potential energy since it moves towards a region of higher electric field. When a positively charged particle moves towards a point of higher potential energy, it gains electric potential energy, and when it moves towards a point of lower potential energy, it loses electric potential energy. The work done in taking a charged particle around a closed path in an electric field is zero because the potential difference between the starting point and ending point is zero.