Chapter 23

Electric potential

© 2016 Pearson Education, Ltd.

 Learning Goals for Chapter 23
Looking forward at …
• How to calculate the electric potential energy
• Electric potential Energy in a uniform Field
• Electric potential Energy of two point charges
• Electric potential Energy of several point charges
• Interpreting Electric potential Energy
 Introduction
• In one type of welding, electric charge flows between
the welding tool and the metal pieces that are to be joined.
• This produces a glowing arc whose high temperature fuses the pieces
together.
• The tool must be held close to the metal pieces in order to maximize the
electric field.
• Electric potential energy is an integral part of our technological society.
 Electric potential energy in a uniform field
• In the figure, a pair of charged parallel metal plates sets up a uniform, downward
electric field. The field exerts a downward force on a positive test charge.
• As the charge moves downward from point a to point b, the work done by the
field is independent of the path taken by the particle and positive.
• Same as falling object from certain height potential energy decreases and
Work is positive increases.
U =q 0 E . y at point d

The potential energy of the person is m.g.h

 A positive charge moving in a uniform field
• When charge particles move in an electric field, field exerts a force F on charge.
• The work can be expressed in terms of Electric potential energy.

• If the positive charge moves in the direction of the field, the field does positive
work on the charge.
• The potential energy decreases. and work increases
• Conservation of energy states that:

Work is positive because force and

displacement in the same direction
Kinetic energy increases

𝐾 𝑎 +𝑞𝑜 𝐸 𝑦 𝑎=𝐾 𝑏 +𝑞 𝑜 𝐸 𝑦 𝑏
 A positive charge moving in a uniform field
• If the positive charge moves opposite the direction of the field, the field does
negative work on the charge.
• The potential energy increases and work decreases
• It is similar to kicking a ball upward: Potential increase as the ball goes up
and kinetic energy decreases as a result work decreases

mg
 A negative charge moving in a uniform
field
• If the negative charge moves in the direction of the field, the field does
negative work on the charge.
• The potential energy increases but kinetic energy decreases, because the
negative charge will repel the test charge and also look at the work where
direction of the force and displacement 180 degree
 A negative charge moving in a uniform
field
• If the negative charge moves opposite the direction of the field, the field does
positive work on the charge.
• The Electric potential energy decreases as work done increases
 Electric potential energy of two point charges
• The work done by the electric field of one point charge on another does not
depend on the path taken.
• Therefore, the electric potential energy only depends on the distance between
the charges and its .
• Force on two point charge is:
𝑞𝑜 𝑞
𝐹= When both charge are positive or negative
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2
Force is not constant during displacement

( ) Work done by E field depends on endpoints

𝑞𝑜 𝑞 1 1
𝑊 𝑎→ 𝑏 = −
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 𝑎 𝑟 𝑏

𝑞𝑜 𝑞 1
𝑈 𝑎=
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 𝑎 at distance “” and “” depends on sign of charge
𝑞𝑜 𝑞 1
𝑈 𝑏=
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 𝑏
 Electric potential energy of two point charges
Work done by moving test charge from ““to “"

( )
𝑞𝑜 𝑞 1 1 Work increase and Electric potential U decreases
𝑊 𝑎→ 𝑏 = −
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 𝑎 𝑟 𝑏 because both charges are positive

𝑞𝑜 𝑞 1
𝑈 𝑎= Electric potential energy between two charges at “a”
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 𝑎

𝑞𝑜 𝑞 1 Electric potential energy between two charges at “b”

𝑈 𝑏=
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 𝑏 Potential energy depends on the charge sing + or, -
 Electric potential energy of two point charges
• The electric potential energy of two point charges only depends on the
distance between the charges and sign of charges.

• This equation is valid no matter what the signs of the charges are.
• Potential energy is defined to be zero when the charges are infinitely far
apart.
 Graphs of the potential energy
• If two charges have the same sign, the interaction is repulsive, and the electric
potential energy is positive.

Electric potential energy of two charge

𝑞𝑜 𝑞 1
𝑈=
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟

Distance between charges

 Graphs of the potential energy
• If two charges have opposite signs, the interaction is attractive, and the electric
potential energy is negative.
• As distance between two opposite charges decreases the electric potential energy will
become more negative
 Electrical potential with several point charges
• The potential energy associated with q0 depends on the other charges and their
distances from q0.
• The electric potential energy is the algebraic sum:

𝑟4

𝑟5
𝑞𝑜 𝑞 1
𝑈 𝑖= 𝑟6
4 𝜋 𝜀 𝑜 𝑟 𝑖 Electric potential Energy of each pair is given
 Electric field potential and Work
• Electric field due to parallel plate charges is given as from positive to negative plate. If a
positive test charge released from a= 3mm. b= 1.5mm
• Find the Force
• Find the Electric potential energy at each point
• Find the Work done to move test charge from a to b
U 𝑦 =q 0 E . y
𝑦 =4 𝑚𝑚

Work is positive because of force and direction of motion same

 Electric potential Energy
• Two charges of same magnitude and sing are at a distance of 2cm apart
• Find the Force between two charges
• Find the Electric potential energy
r=2cm
Find the work to bring to a distance of b=0.5cm 𝑞1 𝑞2
𝑞1 𝑞2 −6 N a=0 b=2cm
𝐹= 2
=8.93 ∙10
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 C
𝑞1 𝑞2
a=0 c=0.5cm

𝑞1 𝑞2
𝑊 𝑏→𝑐 =− ( 𝑈 𝑐 −𝑈 𝑏 ) =− ( 1
− )1
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 0.005 0.02
=− 150 𝐽 𝑛𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘
 Electric Potential Energy with several charges
Several charges are located at several distances as seen.
Find the Electric potential energy at point “a” due to all charges

𝑞𝑜 𝑞 1
𝑈 𝑖=
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 𝑖
−2.3 𝜇𝐶
𝑈=
𝑞𝑜 𝑞𝑖 1
= (
𝑞𝑜 𝑞1 𝑞2 𝑞 3
+ +
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 𝑖 4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 1 𝑟 2 𝑟 3 ) 4.3 𝜇𝐶
=1m

=1.5m

1.3 𝜇𝐶 =2.3m 3𝜇𝐶

 Electric potential energy
Two point charge are located on the x- axis as seen on the figure
a) Find the work that must be done by an external force to bring a third point charge
from infinity to x=2a. b) Find the total potential energy of system of three charges

𝑊 =𝑈 =
𝑞3
(𝑞 1 𝑞2
+
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 13 𝑟 23 )
𝑈=
1
(
𝑞 3 𝑞 1 𝑞 3 𝑞 2 𝑞2 𝑞1
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 𝑟 13
+
𝑟 23
+
𝑟12 )
𝑈=
1
(
− 𝑒 2 𝑒 2 −𝑒 2
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 2 𝑎 𝑎
+ +
𝑎
= )
1 −𝑒 2
4 𝜋 𝜀𝑜 2 𝑎

This is the potential energy of each charge due to others