ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

GENERAL PHYSICS 2
WHAT IS ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ❓

• electric potential, the amount of work needed to move a unit charge

from a reference point to a specific point against an electric field.
Typically, the reference point is Earth, although any point beyond the
influence of the electric field charge can be used.

•
• The potential energy for a positive charge increases when it moves
against an electric field and decreases when it moves with the electric
field; the opposite is true for a negative charge. Unless the unit charge
crosses a changing magnetic field, its potential at any given point
does not depend on the path taken.
• Although the concept of electric potential is useful in
understanding electrical phenomena, only differences in
potential energy are measurable. If an electric field is defined as
the force per unit charge, then by analogy an electric potential
can be thought of as the potential energy per unit charge.
Therefore, the work done in moving a unit charge from one point
to another.
•THE END
ELECTRON VOLT
 WHAT IS ELECTRON
VOLT?
In physics, an electronvolt (symbol eV, also written
electron-volt and electron volt) is the measure of an
amount of kinetic energy gained by a single electron
accelerating from rest through an electric potential
difference of one volt in vacuum
One electron volt (1 eV) is the kinetic energy gained
by an electron moving through a potential difference of
one volt (1 V). 1 eV = 1.602 x 10 -19 J
 WHAT IS EQUIPOTENTIAL LINES?

An equipotential is a line surface over which the

electric potential (V) is constant at every point.
Electric field lines are perpendicular to
equipotentials. An equipotential line is a line along
which the electric potential is constant.
 Equipotential lines are like contour lines on a map
which trace lines of equal altitude. In this case the
"altitude" is electric potential or voltage. Equipotential
lines are always perpendicular to the electric field. In
three dimensions, the lines form equipotential surfaces.
Movement along an equipotential surface requires no
work because such movement is always perpendicular to
the electric field.
 EQUIPOTENTIAL LINE

Equipotential Lines: Constant Field Equipotential Lines: Points Charge Equipotential lines : Dipole
 WHAT IS EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES?

An equipotential surface is one on which all

points are at the same potential. The potential
difference between any two points on an
equipotential surface is zero; there is no work
done to move a charge between two points.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES?

1. No work is done to move a charge between

two points on the same equipotential surface.
2. Electric filed lines are perpendicular to
equipotential surface.
3. The surface of a conductor is an equipotential
surface.
 ELECTRIC
POTENTIAL
ENERGY
 What is Electric
Potential Energy?

Electric potential energy is

the energy that is needed to
move a charge against an
electric field. You need more
energy to move a charge further
in the electric field, but also
more energy to move it through a
stronger electric field.
What is the difference between potential
energy and potential?

Electric Potential - It is the workdone

required to bring a unit positive charge . P52
Title
Book
from infinity to any point A on electric
field
Electric Potential Energy - It is the
workdone required to bring any amount of
charge from any point A to some point B
in electric field.
 101
FORMULA OF ELECTRIC
POTENTIAL ENERGY
U_E = electric
potential energy
k = Coulomb constant
q1, q2 = charges
r = distance of
separation
EXAMPLE
Air conditioner
Before turning on,
the air conditioners are
associated with the
charges possess a large
amount of potential
energy. When the
conditioner switches on,
the potential energy is
transformed into heat.
Basically, it can
increase or decrease the
temperature as we set
them.
THAT WOULD BE ALL,
THANK YOU !!
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY &
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL SAMPLE
PROBLEMS

SOLER, JOHNDOLF O.
VILLANUEVA, CHADWICK
TABLE OF CONTENTS

73273
1760 0009-14563.7
RECAP 01
PROBLEM #1 .02

1250 003-77156.8
PROBLEM #2 .03
PROBLEM #3 .04

003-1040559
PROBLEM #4 .05
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RECAP
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ENERGY
 
0
1
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
 PROBLEM #1

0 If a charge of magnitude 6.5x10-17C is being held

2 in place 2x10-8m from a charge of -8x10-19C which
is also being held in place, what is the electric
potential energy of the system?
 PROBLEM #2

0 Find the electric potential at a distance of 0.8m

3 from a 7.58pC charge.
 PROBLEM #3

0 The electric potential at a distance of 0.92m from a

4 point charge is -8.41x105V. What is the quantity of
the point charge?
 PROBLEM #4

0 Two charges q1 = q2 = -7μC are by 5m. Calculate

5 the electric potential at point A.

A
q1 q2
3.5m 1.5m
THANKS YOW

003-1040559 1250 003-77156.8 1760 0009-14563.7 73273