Laser Ready to Replace Spark plug Role

The desire of automotive experts using lasers as a replacement spark plug to trigger combustion in gasoline engines (could also fuel gas) getting closer to reality. In fact, in early May of next week, a team at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics will report that they have succeeded in designing a laser that can be used for gasoline engines. 

Electrical Energy and Electrical Potential

In order to bring two like charges near each other work must be done.   In order to separate two opposite charges, work must be done.  Remember that whenever work gets done, energy changes form. 
As something does work on the positive charge, he increases the energy of that charge.  The closer he brings it, the more electrical potential energy it has.   When he releases the charge, work gets done on the charge which changes its energy from electrical potential energy to kinetic energy.  Every time he brings the charge back, he does work on the charge.  If he brought the charge closer to the other object, it would have more electrical potential energy.  If he brought 2 or 3 charges instead of one, then he would have had to do more work so he would have created more electrical potential energy.  Electrical potential energy could be measured in Joules just like any other form of energy.
Since the electrical potential energy can change depending on the amount of charge you are moving, it is helpful to describe the electrical potential energy per unit of charge.  This is known as electrical potential (NOTE: this sounds very similar to electrical potential energy, but it is not!)  

 

Surge Protector

A device that shields computer and other electronic devices from surges in electrical power, or transient voltage, that flow from the power supply. Standard American voltage for home and office buildings is 120 volts. Anything over this amount is considered transient and can damage electronic devices that are plugged into an outlet. Even though power surges are so brief that they are measured in nanoseconds, they can cause considerable damage to electronic equipment.