It depends, of course, on what level of thought that statement may have been intended for. If the reader knows about "work" and "electric fields", and it's in the context of a static field, I have no problem with it.
I'm sure everyone here can think of interesting situations in which the statement isn't technically true (non-adiabatic charge-movement, where radiative behavior comes into play, or some movement along a path which might contain singularities in the field, for example). For high schoolers or beginning college physics majors, it sounds OK to me. It even leaves open the possibility of discussing gauges (though probably not to any but the brightest high schoolers).
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Down with categorical imperative!
flutzpah@yahoo.com
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----- Original Message ----
From: "carmelo@pacific.net.sg" <carmelo@pacific.net.sg>
To: phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2008 9:08:43 PM
Subject: [Phys-l] Electric Potential Energy
Hi,
Does anyone have problem with this definition on "electric potential energy"?
Electric Potential Energy is the work done in bringing the charge from
infinity to the point in the electric field.