Quiz on the math needed today

What is the result of this integral:

}

B
A
dx
x
2
1
)? ( is what , ) ( ) ( and known is ) ( If x z dx x z x y x y
}
=
)? ( is what , ) ( ) ( and known is ) ( If
integral line
r z s r z r r

}
= d y y
B A x
dx
x
B
A
B
A
1 1 1 1
2
= =
}
dx
x dy
x z
) (
) ( =
( ) ( ),
In a Cartesian coordinate system
x
y

y z
= V
c c c
V + +
c c c
z r r
i j k
Chapter 25
Electric Potential
A review of gravitational
potential
B
When object of mass m is on ground level B, we define that
it has zero gravitational potential energy. When we let go of
this object, if will stay in place.
When this object is moved to elevation A, we say that it has
gravitational potential energy mgh. h is the distance from B
to A. When we let go of this object, if will fall back to level B.
A
When this object is at elevation A, it has gravitational
potential energy U
A
-U
B
= mgh. U
A
is the potential energy at
point A with reference to point B. When the object falls from
level A to level B, the potential energy change: U =U
B
-U
A
The gravitational force does work and causes the potential
energy change: W = mgh = U
A
-U
B
= -U
h
mg
We also know that the gravitational force is conservative:
the work it does to the object only depends on the two
levels A and B, not the path the object moves.
Introduction of the electric potential, a
special case: the electric field is a constant.
E F

0
q =
When a charge q
0
is placed inside an electric field, it
experiences a force from the field:
When the charge is released, the field moves it from A
to B, doing work:
Ed q q
0 0
W = = = d E d F

If we define the electric potential energy of the
charge at point A U
A
and B U
B
, then:
U U U Ed q
B A
A = = =
0
W
If we define U
B
=0, then U
A
= q
0
Ed is the electric
potential energy the charge has at point A. We can
also say that the electric field has an electric potential
at point A. When a charge is placed there, the charge
acquires an electric potential energy that is the charge
times this potential.
Electric Potential Energy, the
general case
When a charge is moved from point A to point B in an
electric field, the charges electric potential energy inside
this field is changed from U
A
to U
B
:
A B
U U U = A
E F

0
q =
The force on the charge is:
}
= = =
B
A
B A
d q W U U U s E

0
force) field the (of A
So we have this final formula for electric potential energy
and the work the field force does to the charge:
When the motion is caused by the electric field force on
the charge, the work this force does to the charge cause
the change of its electric potential energy, so: U W A =
Electric Potential Energy, final
discussion
Electric force is conservative. The line
integral does not depend on the path from A
to B; it only depends on the locations of A
and B.
}
= =
B
A
B A
d q U U U s E

0
A
A
B
Line integral paths
The electric potential energy of a
charge q
0
in the field of a charge Q?
Q
q
0
R
Reference point:
We usually define the electric potential of a
point charge to be zero (reference) at a point
that is infinitely far away from the point charge.
}
= =
B
A
B A
d q U U U s E

0
A
Applying this formula:
Where point A is where the charge q
0
is, point B is
infinitely far away.

R
Q
k dr
r
Q
k
dr
r
Q
k d d
d d

r
Q
k
e
R
e
e
e
=
= =
= =
}

2
2
2
and
so
,
r E s E
r s r E

And the result is a scalar!

So the final answer is

R
Q q
k R U
e
0
) ( =
Electric Potential, the
definition
The potential energy per unit charge, U/q
o
, is the
electric potential
The potential is a characteristic of the field only
The potential energy is a characteristic of the charge-field
system
The potential is independent of the value of q
o

The potential has a value at every point in an electric field
The electric potential is


As in the potential energy case, electric potential also
needs a reference. So it is the potential difference V
that matters, not the potential itself, unless a
reference is specified (then it is again V).
o
U
V
q
=
Electric Potential,
the formula
The potential is a scalar quantity
Since energy is a scalar
As a charged particle moves in an electric
field, it will experience a change in potential

}
= =
B
A
B A
d V V V s E

reference) (often the A

Potential Difference in a
Uniform Field
d E s E s E

= = = =
} }
B
A
B
A
B A
d d V V V A
The equations for electric potential can be
simplified if the electric field is uniform:
B A B A
V V , V V V > > =
>
or 0
direction, same the and i.e.,
A
d E 0, d E

When:
This is to say that electric field lines always
point in the direction of decreasing electric
potential
Electric Potential, final
discussion
The difference in potential is the
meaningful quantity
We often take the value of the potential to
be zero at some convenient point in the
field
Electric potential is a scalar characteristic
of an electric field, independent of any
charges that may be placed in the field
Electric Potential, electric
potential energy and Work
When there is electric field, there is electric potential V.
When a charge q
0
is in an electric field, this charge
has an electric potential energy U in this electric field:
U = q
0
V.
When this charge q
0
is moved by the electric field force,
the work this field force does to this charge equals the
electric potential energy change -U:
W = -U = -q
0
V.
Units
The unit for electric potential energy is the unit for energy joule
(J).
The unit for electric potential is volt (V):
1 V = 1 J/C
This unit comes from U = q0 V (here U is electric potential energy,
V is electric potential, not the unit volt)
It takes one joule of work to move a 1-coulomb charge through a
potential difference of 1 volt

But from

We also have the unit for electric potential as 1 V = 1 (N/C)m
So we have that 1 N/C (the unit of ) = 1 V/m
This indicates that we can interpret the electric field as a
measure of the rate of change with position of the electric
potential
}
=
B
A
d V s E

A
E

Direction of Electric Field,

energy conservation

As pointed out before, electric field
lines always point in the direction
of decreasing electric potential
So when the electric field is
directed downward, point B is at a
lower potential than point A
When a positive test charge moves
from A to B, the charge-field
system loses potential energy
through doing work to this charge
Where does this energy go?
2502
It turns into the kinetic energy of the object
(with a mass) that carries the charge q
0
.
Equipotentials = equal potentials
Points B and C are at a
lower potential than point A
Points B and C are at the
same potential
All points in a plane
perpendicular to a uniform
electric field are at the same
electric potential
The name equipotential
surface is given to any
surface consisting of a
continuous distribution of
points having the same
electric potential
Charged Particle in a Uniform
Field, Example
Question: a positive charge (mass
m) is released from rest and moves
in the direction of the electric field.
Find its speed at point B.
Solution: The system loses potential
energy: -U=U
A
-U
B
=qEd
The force and acceleration are in
the direction of the field
Use energy conservation to find its
speed:
m
qEd
v
qEd mv
2
2
1
2
=
=
Potential and Point Charges
A positive point charge
produces a field
directed radially
outward
The potential difference
between points A and B
will be
1 1
B A e
B A
V V k q
r r
(
=
(

No line integral needed!
Potential and Point Charges,
cont.
The electric potential is independent of the
path between points A and B
It is customary to choose a reference
potential of V = 0 at r
A
=
Then the potential at some point r is
e
q
V k
r
=
Electric Potential of a Point
Charge
The electric potential in
the plane around a
single point charge is
shown
The red line shows the
1/r nature of the
potential
Electric Potential with Multiple
Charges
The electric potential due to several point
charges is the sum of the potentials due to
each individual charge
This is another example of the superposition
principle
The sum is the algebraic sum


V = 0 at r =

i
e
i
i
q
V k
r
=

Immediate application:
Electric Potential of a Dipole
The graph shows the
potential (y-axis) of an
electric dipole
The steep slope between
the charges represents the
strong electric field in this
region
)
1 1
(
+
+
= + =
r - r r - r

q k V V V
e
Potential Energy of Multiple
Charges
Consider two charged
particles
The potential energy of
the system is



1 2
12
e
q q
U k
r
=
2509
More About U of Multiple
Charges
If the two charges are the same sign, U is
positive and external work (not the one from
the field force) must be done to bring the
charges together
If the two charges have opposite signs, U is
negative and external work is done to keep
the charges apart
U with Multiple Charges, take 3 as an
example
If there are more than
two charges, then find
U for each pair of
charges and add them
For three charges:



The result is independent
of the order of the
charges
1 3 2 3 1 2
12 13 23
e
q q q q q q
U k
r r r
| |
= + +
|
\ .
Find V for an Infinite Sheet of
Charge
We know that , a constant
From
We have
The equipotential lines are the
dashed blue lines
The electric field lines are the
brown lines
The equipotential lines are
everywhere perpendicular to the
field lines
0
2c
o
= E
}
= s E

d V
Ed V =
d
E and V for a Point Charge
The equipotential lines
are the dashed blue
lines
The electric field lines
are the brown lines
The equipotential lines
are everywhere
perpendicular to the
field lines
E and V for a Dipole
The equipotential lines
are the dashed blue
lines
The electric field lines
are the brown lines
The equipotential lines
are everywhere
perpendicular to the
field lines
When you use a computer (program) to calculate
electric Potential for a Continuous Charge
Distribution:
Consider a small
charge element dq
Treat it as a point charge
The potential at some
point due to this charge
element is
e
dq
dV k
r
=
V for a Continuous Charge
Distribution, cont.
To find the total potential, you need to
integrate to include the contributions from all
the elements


This value for V uses the reference of V = 0 when
P is infinitely far away from the charge
distributions
e
dq
V k
r
=
}
V for a Uniformly Charged
Ring
P is located on the
perpendicular central
axis of the uniformly
charged ring
The ring has a radius a
and a total charge Q

2 2
e
e
k Q dq
V k
r
a x
= =
+
}
V for a Uniformly Charged Disk
The ring has a radius R
and surface charge
density of
P is along the
perpendicular central
axis of the disk

( )
1
2 2 2
2
e
V k R x x
(
= +
(

V for a Finite Line of Charge
A rod of line has a
total charge of Q and a
linear charge density of


2 2
ln
e
k Q a
V
a
| |
+ +
= |
|
\ .
Prove that V is everywhere the same on a
charged conductor in equilibrium
Inside the conductor, because
is 0, , so V=0
On the surface, consider two
points on the surface of the
charged conductor as shown
is always perpendicular to
the displacement
Therefore,
Therefore, the potential
difference between A and B is
also zero
E
ds
0 d = E s
E
0 d = E s
Summarize on potential V of a
charged conductor in equilibrium
V is constant everywhere on the surface of a
charged conductor in equilibrium
V = 0 between any two points on the surface
The surface of any charged conductor in
electrostatic equilibrium is an equipotential surface
Because the electric field is zero inside the
conductor, we conclude that the electric potential is
constant everywhere inside the conductor and equal
to the value at the surface
E Compared to V
The electric potential is a
function of r
The electric field is a
function of r
2

The effect of a charge on
the space surrounding it:
The charge sets up a
vector electric field which
is related to the force
The charge sets up a
scalar potential which is
related to the energy
Van de Graaff
Generator
Charge is delivered continuously to a
high-potential electrode by means of a
moving belt of insulating material
The high-voltage electrode is a hollow
metal dome mounted on an insulated
column
Large potentials can be developed by
repeated trips of the belt
Protons accelerated through such large
potentials receive enough energy to
initiate nuclear reactions