The energy density of the electric field generated by a point charge decreases with distance from the charge as

Step-by-step solution

The electric field E at a distance r from a point charge q is given by E = 1 4 ₀ q r^2 . The energy density u of an electric field is given by u = 1 2 ₀ E^2 . Substituting the expression for E , we get u = 1 2 ₀ ( 1 4 ₀ q r^2 )^2 . This simplifies to u = q^2 32 ^2 ₀ r^4 . Thus, the energy density decreases with distance as 1 r^4 .