PHY-111 (APPLIED PHYSICS)

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

&POTENTIAL
Potential Energy
Electric Potential Energy
Electric Potential
Calculating the Potential form the Field
Potential due to Point Charges
Potential due to Collection of Point Charges
Electric Potential of Continuous Charge Distribution
Calculating the Field from the Potential
Equipotential Surfaces
Potential of a Charged Conductor
 POTENTIAL ENERGY

Potential energy is energy which results from position or configuration. An object may
have the capacity for doing work as a result of its position in a gravitational field
(gravitational potential energy), an electric field (electric potential energy), or a
magnetic field (magnetic potential energy). It may have elastic potential energy as a
result of a stretched spring or other elastic deformation.

The difference in the potential energy ΔU of the system is equal to the negative
of the work done by the force

Electrostatic force is conservative and therefore there is a potential energy

associated with the configuration (the relative locations of the objects) of a system
in which electrostatic force act.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

Suppose we have two charges q1 and q2 separated by a

distance r

When the charges have opposite sign, the product of q1 and q2 is

negative then, ΔU < 0 when the charges move closer together and
ΔU > 0 When charges move further apart (also in case q1q2 have
opposite sign)
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

When the charge q2 move along an arc of a

circle of radius r, centered at q1. Along this
path F is always perpendicular to ds and so
F.ds is zero throughout.
So ΔU = 0
When the charge q2 is moving between
arbitrary point a and b in which we can choose
variety of possible paths
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

Conservation of Energy in Electrostatics

In case of two charges have the same sign:

If q1 is fixed, and q2 is at certain distance from q1, an external force must be exerted to oppose the
electrostatic repulsion between two same (sign) charges. In doing so the agent does positive external work
on the system and so the energy of the system increases by an amount of ΔU.
The external work has stored energy in the system, in exact analogy to the storage of energy when an
external agent compress a spring. By releasing the charges, we could recover the stored energy as kinetic
energy of the moving charges.
In case of two opposite charges:
In this case the electrostatic force is attractive, then the external agent does negative external work on the
system to move q2 from a large separation from q1. This work decreases the energy stored in the system and
so is not recoverable. Without external agent q2 would have its own acceleration towards q1; the agent must
expend energy is restraining (remain under control) q2 in order to place it at rest at the specified location.
If q1 and q2 have opposite signs and begin with a small separation, then the external agent must do positive
work equal to ΔU in order to separate the charges to a large distance.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

ELECTRIC ENERGY OF A SYSTEM OF POINT CHARGES

Assume that r12 = r13 = r23 = d = 12 cm and that,

q1 = +q q2 = -4q and q3 = +2q
U = -17 mJ
The –ve sign means that –ve work would be done by an external agent to assemble
this structure, started with the three charges infinitely separated and at rest. Put it
another way, that is an external agent would have to do +17 mJ of work to dismantle
the structure completely
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

The electric potential difference (Electric Potential) is define as;

The electric potential energy difference per unit test charge (work done by external
agent on a unit positive charge q0 to bring from infinity to a specific location)

Like potential energy, the electric potential is a scalar. Usually we will refer to
electric potential simply as “potential”.

The general expression for the electric potential as a result of a point charge q can
be obtained by referencing to a zero of potential at infinity. The expression for
the potential difference is:
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

The potential near an isolated +ve charge is positive. If we move a +ve test charge from
infinity to that point, the charge would move from a location where V=0 to a location
where V > 0. Thus ΔV > 0 same as ΔU > 0. And for isolated –ve charge the potential is –
ve.
If potential is zero at a point, no net work is done by the electric force as the test charge
moves in from infinity to that point, although the test charge may pass through region
where it experiences attractive or repulsive electric forces.
A potential of zero at a point does not necessarily mean that the electric force is zero at that
point

1 Volt = 1 joule/coulomb

Electron Volts
U=qV, units are usually Joules
Sometimes (especially in Atomic Physics) it is useful to express the energy in units of
electrons*Volts.
1 eV = Charge on electron * 1 Volt
1eV = 1.602 × 10-19 Joules
The energy required to move an electron or proton through a potential of 1V
 CALCULATING THE POTENTIAL
FROM THE FIELD

An alpha particle (q=+2e) in a nuclear accelerator moves from one terminal at a potential
of Va= +6.5 × 106 V to another at a potential of Vb = 0. (a) What is the corresponding
change in the potential energy of the system?
(b) Assuming that the terminal and their charges do not move and that no external forces
act on the system, what is the change in kinetic energy of the particle?
ΔU = Ub – Ua = q(Vb-Va)
ΔU = -2.1 × 10-12 J
ΔK = - ΔU = 2.1 × 10-12 J
 POTENTIAL DUE TO POINT
CHARGES

The electric potential (voltage) at any point in space produced by any

number of point charges can be calculated from the point charge expression
by simple addition since voltage is a scalar quantity
POTENTIAL DUE TO AN ELECTRIC
DIPOLE
We already know that electric dipole is an arrangement which consists of two equal and
opposite charges +q and -q separated by a small distance d (here we will consider 2d)
Electric dipole moment is represented by a vector p of magnitude 2qd and this vector points in
direction from -q to +q
To find electric potential due to a dipole consider charge -q is placed at point P and charge +q
is placed at point Q as shown below in the figure

where r1 and r2 respectively are distance of charge +q and -q

from point R.
Now draw line PC perpendicular to RO and line QD
perpendicular to RO as shown in figure. From triangle POC
cosθ=OC/OP = OC/d
therefore OC=dcosθ similarly OD=dcosθ
Now ,
r1 = QR≅RD = OR-OD = r-dcosθ
r2 = PR≅RC = OR+OC = r+dcosθ
POTENTIAL DUE TO AN ELECTRIC
DIPOLE

Since magnitude of dipole is

|p| = 2qd

If we consider the case where r>>d then

again since pcosθ= p·rˆ where, rˆ is the

unit vector along the vector OR then
electric potential of dipole is

From above equation we can see that potential due to electric dipole is inversely
proportional to r2 not ad 1/r which is the case for potential due to single charge.
Potential due to electric dipole does not only depends on r but also depends on angle
between position vector r and dipole moment p.(e.g. V =0, θ=90)
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DUE OF
CONTINUOUS CHARGE DISTRIBUTION

The electric potential (voltage) at any point in space produced by a continuous charge
distribution can be calculated from the point charge expression by integration since voltage
is a scalar quantity. Thus we do not encounter the difficulties that arose due to differing
directions of force elements dE or fiedl element s dE from different charge elements dq.

A Uniform Line of Charge

Consider a uniform line of positive charge having length L,
along the positive z-axis, as given in the Figure. We want
to calculate the potential at point P (perpendicular
bisector), at a distance y along the positive y-axis. Let us
assume a small element of length dz at a distance z from
the mid-point of uniform charge line.
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DUE OF
CONTINUOUS CHARGE DISTRIBUTION

Which is simply the expression for the potential at distance y from a

point charge, instead of long uniform charge sheet. When we are
very far from the rod , it looks like a point charge
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DUE OF
CONTINUOUS CHARGE DISTRIBUTION

A Ring of Charge
Figure given below shows a uniform ring of positive charge. The contribution to the
potential at point P on its axis due to charge element dq = λ ds = λ R dφ is;
CALCULATING THE FIELD FROM THE
POTENTIAL

A positive test charge q0 moves from point a (where the

potential is V) to point b (potential V+ ΔV). Potential
energy of q0 changes by an amount ΔU = q0 ΔV.
Where F = q0E on the particle. The work done by this force
as the particle moves from a to b is
W = Fs Δs = q0Es Δs
here Es and Fs are the components along Δs, which
represents a very small (so that F & E remains constant )
displacement from a to b.
We also know that W = -ΔU, which gives

This is a fundamental connection b/w electric field and potential. Electric field is
the negative of the change in potential with distance. If ΔV is positive, the electric
field gives a force that opposes the movement of the positively charged test particle
from a to b. If ΔV is negative, the field gives a force in the direction of motion.
CALCULATING THE FIELD FROM THE
POTENTIAL

The component of electric field in any direction is the

negative of the derivative of the potential with respect
to a displacement in that direction. Let us suppose a
different geometry for this purpose. Figure shows the
same process, but instead of moving the test charge
from a to b directly, we move it along two different
paths. Path acb takes the charge along the x axis from
a t o c and then along the path from c to b, which has
been chosen so that the potential has same values V +
ΔV everywhere b/w c and b

The work done by electric field along cb is zero, b/c the potential does not change
(ΔV = -W/q0). The work done along ac is Fx Δx = q0E Δx. Because the change in
potential energy is independent of path, we have again W = - ΔU
q0E Δx = -q0 ΔV
CALCULATING THE FIELD FROM THE
POTENTIAL

In a similar way we can obtain Ez for three

dimensional calculation.
If we take the limit as the path lengths become very
small, the differences becomes derivative and we
can write a most general relationship b/w E and V

We therefore have two methods of calculating the electric field for

continuous chare distribution; one based on integrating coulomb’s law
and another based on differentiating the potential.
In practice the second method often turns out to be less difficult.
EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES

Consider a point on the sphere of radius 0.1 m

surrounding q, the potential is 100 V. As the potential
a scalar quantity its values (100 V) will remain same
in any direction on the surface of this sphere (0.1 m).
On the second sphere 0.2 m, the potential everywhere
has the value 50 V.
A surface on which the potential has the same value
everywhere, such as on of the spheres in the Figure,
is called an equipotential surface. No net work is
done by electric forces when we move a test charge
from any point to an equipotential surface to any
other point on the same surface, because ΔV = 0
Figure shows portion of a family of equipotential
surface that might be associated with a certain charge
distribution. Net work done for path 1 and 2 path is 0.
But not zero for path 3 and 4 as there is a potential
difference.
W = -q (Vb-Va)
FIELD LINES AND EQUIPOTENTIAL
SURFACES

The particle move from V to V+ ΔV, in the region b/w the

equipotential surfaces. The electric field must be
perpendicular to equipotential surface at point b. If this
were not so, then there would be a component of electric
field along the equipotential surface, which would do
work on a particle that move along the surface. This
would however violate the definition of equipotential as a
surface of constant potential, where the work must be
zero.
 POTENTIAL OF A CHARGED
CONDUCTOR

For an isolated charged conductor we know that; the electric field is zero in its interior
and the charge reside on the outer surface of the conductor.
If the charges are in equilibrium on the surface of the conductor, then its surface must
be an equipotential. If this were not so, some parts of the surface would be at higher
or lower potential than the other parts. However this contradicts our assertion that the
charges are in equilibrium and therefore, the surface must be an equipotential.
In electrostatic case, the entire conductor is at the same potential. However when
current flowing through conductors, a potential difference can exist b/w different
point in the conductor.
Note that we have made no assumptions about the shape of the conductor. If
conductor is spherical, the charge is uniformly distributed over the surface .
For conductors whose shape is non-spherical, the charge density is not
uniform over the surface, but the surface is still an equipotential.

The field and potential for an isolated charged spherical conductor; the field
is zero for r < R and decrease like 1/r2 for r > R.
The potential is constant for r < R and falls off like 1/r for r > R
POTENTIAL OF A CHARGED
CONDUCTOR