Electrostatic Energy: Feynman's Physics Explained
It takes work to push charges together against their repulsion, and that work is stored as potential energy. But where is the energy? A very useful idea is that it is not in the charges but in the electric field they create, with an energy density proportional to the square of the field strength. This picture — energy living in the field — is essential for understanding how electromagnetic waves carry energy through empty space.
The big idea
Energy is stored in the electric field itself, spread through space.
Think about it
If energy is stored in the field, how can light carry energy across empty space with no charges in it?
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