Lecture 7 Electrostatic Potential

Sections: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 Homework: D4.1, D4.2, D4.3, D4.4, D4.5; 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.9, 4.10, 4.12
LECTURE 7 slide 1

Work 1 differential work W = F L dW = F dL = FdL cos work done from A to B

B

dL

W = F dL, J
A

L
F

work is positive if the applied force is in the direction of displacement L F W = F L > 0 work is negative if the applied force is opposite to the direction W = 0 F L of displacement

W = F L < 0 work is zero if force is orthogonal

LECTURE 7

F
slide 2

Work 2 examples with gravity (uniform motion)

Fm

Wm = Fm L > 0, man does work (expends energy) Wg = Fg L cos < 0, rock gains energy
Wm = Wg Fm = Fg cos
Fm

Fg

Wg = Fg L cos > 0, gravity does work (rock loses energy) Wm = Fm L < 0

man provides enough friction to prevent acceleration, gains energy (heat)

LECTURE 7

F g
slide 3

Line Integration 1

we have already studied the line integral of the type (see L03)
Q = l dL
A B

the work integral involves a dot product

r (u ) = x(u )a x + y (u )a y + z (u )a z dL = dr = dxa x + dya y + dza z F = Fx a x + Fy a y + Fz a z

W = F dL
A

B
r (u )
dr

dW = F dL = Fx dx + Fy dy + Fz dz
W = ( Fx dx + Fy dy + Fz dz )
A B

y
x
LECTURE 7

A
slide 4

Line Integration 2
RCS: W = Fx ( x, y, z )dx + Fy ( x, y, z )dy + Fz ( x, y, z )dz CCS: W = F ( , , z )d + F ( , , z ) d + Fz ( , , z )dz SCS: W = Fr (r , , )dr + F (r , , )rd + F (r , , )r sin d
A A B A B B

use the parametric equations of the line to reduce the line integral to a single-variable integral, for example, x = f x (u ), y = f y (u ), z = f z (u )

df y df z df x + Fy + Fz du RCS: W = Fx du du du uA
LECTURE 7 slide 5

uB

Line Integration 3
Example: Evaluate the integral W = F dL

F = ( x + y )a x + ( y x)a y

along the parabola y2 = x from (1,1) to (4,2). df y df z df x W = Fx + Fy + Fz du du du du uA df y df x 2 = 2u , =1 Let y = u; x = u du du Begin and end points: u A = 1, u B = 2
2 2 W = ( u + u )2 u + ( u u ) du 2

uB

Fx = x + y Fy = y x Fz = 0

1 W = 11 3
LECTURE 7 slide 6

Work of External Force to Move Charges

electric force FE = QE to move a charge a distance dL against the electric force, external (non-electric) force is applied whose projection along dL is
Fext = FE a L = QE a L

external force does work when moving the charge from A to B (charge gains potential energy WE)
Wext = Fext dL = Q E dL = WE > 0
A A B B

Q FE = QE

A
LECTURE 7 slide 7

di

sp

lac em en t

Fext

B +++++

Work of Electric Field to Move Charges

if charge is already at B and is free to move, the electric field will bring it back to A at the expense of its own energy (charge loses potential energy WE)
= Q E dL = WE = Q E dL > 0 WE
B A A B

LECTURE 7

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sp

lac em en t
slide

E d L = E dL

FE = QE

B +++++

Electrostatic Potential Difference (Voltage)

Definition 1: potential difference VAB is the work done by the electric field in moving a unit test charge from point A to point B VAB = E dL, V
A B

Definition 2: potential difference VAB is the work done by external forces in moving a unit test charge from point B to point A VAB = E dL, V
B
LECTURE 7 slide 9

Example: Potential Difference in the Field of Line Charge

Find the voltage VAB between point A(A,A,zA) and point B(B,B,zB) in the field of a line charge l along the z axis. Take the path along the line segments: 1) = A , A B , z = z A 2) = A , = B , z A z z B 3) A B , = B , z = z B
VAB = E dL =
B
A B

( A , , z A ) a A d + E( A ,B , z ) a z dz + E   
 

0 zA 0

zB

E( , B , z B ) a d
B l = ln 2 A

l E= a 2
1 note independence of angular position Can we choose B or A at infinity or at zero?
LECTURE 7 slide 10

VAB

Electrostatic Potential Definition 1: the potential at a point A is the work done by the electric field in moving a unit test charge from point A to a reference point A0 where the potential is assumed equal to zero Definition 2: the potential at a point A is the work done by an external force in moving a unit test charge from a reference point A0, where the potential is assumed equal to zero, to the point A. VA =
A0 A

E dL = E dL, V
A0

the electrostatic potential is the potential energy of a unit test charge

LECTURE 7 slide 11

Potential of a Point/Spherical Charge assume potential is zero at infinity integrate along any radial line
VA = E dL =
A RA

Q a a R dR 2 R N 4 R dL Q 1 VA = 4 RA

E
+

Q 1 VA = 4 R

RA

RA

the potential is the same for all points on the sphere of radius RA we say that the sphere is an equipotential surface notice the 1/R dependence on distance and compare it with E
LECTURE 7 slide 12

You have learned: how to compute work integrals what we mean by a positive and a negative work what potential difference (voltage) is in field theory what the potential difference is in the field of a line charge what absolute potential is that the potential of a point/spherical charge depends on distance as 1/R unlike E which decreases as 1/R2

LECTURE 7

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