Chapter 16

Electric Potential

PowerPoint® Lectures for

University Physics, Twelfth Edition
– Hugh D. Young and Roger A. Freedman

Lectures by James Pazun

Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley
Work, energy, and the path from start to finish
• The work done raising a basketball against gravity
depends only on the potential energy, how high the
ball goes. It does not depend on other motions. A
point charge moving in a field exhibits similar
behavior.

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 An electric charge moving in an electric field

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 A test charge will move with respect to other charges

• A test charge will move directly away from a

like charge q.

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 The work done moving a test charge
• As a test charge moves away from a charge of like sign,
the path does not matter (with respect to work or energy),
only the distance between the charges.

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 Electric Potential in a uniform electric field

- +
- +
E
- +
- +
- + V(x)=Ex
- +
- +
- +
- +
- +
- +
- +
- +
- +
- dx +

x1 x2

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 Example: Finding the potential by integration
• By integrating the electric field, find the electric potential at a
distance r from a point charge q.

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 Potential energy curves—PE versus r
• Graphically, the potential
energy between like
charges increases sharply
to positive (repulsive)
values as the charges
become close.
• Unlike charges have
potential energy
becoming sharply
negative as they become
close (attractive).

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 The electrical potential
• The potential of a
battery can be
measured between
point a and point b
(the positive and
negative
terminals).
• Moving with the
electrical field
decreases the
electrical potential.
Moving against
the field raises it.

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 Electrical potential and multiple point charges
• The potential between multiple charges is done by addition of the
individual energies as shown below.

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 Electric potential & potential energy due to point charges

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 Example 16.3
• A multiple charge system

q1=1mC q2 _
q2=5mC
+ q3
q3=-2mC

q1 1m
+ A

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 Example 16.4
• A multiple charge system

q1=1mC q2=-2mC q3=3mC

4m

_
+ 1m + 1m
B
q1 q3 q2

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 Example 16.6
• Potential of an electric dipole
y
P
r
+q
q
+

a
Dr (a<<r)

-q -

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 Electric potential due to continuous charge distributions

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 Example 16.7
• A charged infinite wire of charge density l

+
+
+
+
+
a E b
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

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 Example 16.8
• A charged ring of radius R and total charge Q
dq

r
R

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 Example 16.10
• A conducting sphere of radius R and total charge q.

q+ +
+
+ R + E
+ + P(r)
E=0
+ +
+

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 Equipotential surfaces and field lines
• Surfaces of equal potential may be drawn any charge or charges
and the field lines they create.

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 Example 16.12
• Concentric conducting spheres

-Q
b

+
q

+Q

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 Homework-1

An electric dipole consists of two point charges q1=12nC and q2=-12nC,

placed 10cm apart. Compute the potentials at points a, b and c by adding
the potentials due to either charge.

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 Homework-2

A dust particle with mass m=5x10-9 kg=5mg and charge q0=2nC starts from
rest at point a and moves in a straight line to point b. What is its speed at
point b ?

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 Experimental Apparatus:

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Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley
Copyright © 2008 Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Pearson Addison-Wesley