The Graphs Below Show the Magnitude of the Force on a Particle

Multiple Choice

The graphs below show the magnitude of the force on a particle as the particle moves along the positive x axis from the origin to x = x₁. The force is parallel to the x axis and is conservative. The maxium magnitude F₁ has the same value for all graphs. Rank the situations according to the change in the potential energy associated with the force, least (or most negative) to greatest (or most positive) .

A) 1, 2, 3
B) 1, 3, 2
C) 2, 3, 1
D) 3, 2, 1
E) 2, 1, 3