Fernando is an engineer at an amusement park who is experimenting with changes to the setup for a magnetic roller coaster ride. In one ride, there are two identical roller coaster cars (red and yellow) that start on opposite sides of a large magnet located in the center of a station. He moves both cars, so each car ends up one space farther away from the large magnet. How did the potential energy of the two cars change? Did the potential energy of one car change more than the other? Why do you think so?

Physics for Scientists and Engineers: Foundations and Connections
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Chapter26: Electric Potential
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Fernando is an engineer at an amusement park who is experimenting with changes to the setup for a magnetic roller coaster ride. In one ride, there are two identical roller coaster cars (red and yellow) that start on opposite sides of a large magnet located in the center of a station. He moves both cars, so each car ends up one space farther away from the large magnet.

How did the potential energy of the two cars change? Did the potential energy of one car change more than the other? Why do you think so?

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