ELECTRIC POTENTIAL done to moving one coulomb of charge from one

point to the other.

Electric Potential Energy: Potential Difference
Voltage
POTENTIAL ENERGY IS CONVERTED TO KINETIC
ENERGY  Voltage is the common name for potential
difference

 Whenever a voltage is quoted, it is understood to

be the potential difference between two points.
In summary, the relationship between potential
difference( voltage) and electrical potential
energy is given by:
 PE is used to denote electric potential energy PE
V= ∧PE=−Eqy
 Unit is Joules (J) q
 ∆ PE−change of potential energy ; finding In summary, the relationship between potential
difference(voltage) and electrical potential energy
this is crucial since the work done by is given by:
conservative force isthe negative change∈PE , kq k q1 q2
V= ∨¿ PE=
W =−∆ PE r r
 Work done to accelerate a positive charge from
rest is positive and it results from a loss in PE or
a negative PE. “Change in PE, ∆ PE .”

 W =Fd ; Fe =Eq
Electric Potential, V
 The potential energy needed per unit charge
PE
V=
q
 PE is proportion to q, the dependence on q
cancels. Thus, V does not depend on q.
J
 The unit is
C
 The change in potential energy ∆𝑃𝐸 is crucial,
so we are concerned with the difference in
potential or potential difference ∆V between two
∆ PE
points: ∆V=V b −V a=
q
 The potential difference between point a and b,
V b −V a, is defined as the change in PE of a
charge q moved from a to b, divided by the
charge. Units of potential difference are Joules
per Coulomb, given the name volt(V) after
Alessandro Volta.
 One volt is the potential difference between two
points in an electric field if one joule of work is