Electric Potential and Electric
Field
Chapter 19
1. Electric Potential
1.1. Electrical Potential Energy
• A charge accelerated by an
electric field is analogous to a
mass going down a hill. In
both cases potential energy is
converted to another form.
• Work is done by a force, and
this force is conservative.
• 𝑾 = – 𝚫𝐏𝐄
Electrical Potential Energy, Cont.
• PE = “Potential Energy”
• 𝑊𝐴𝐵 : work done by the
electrostatic force from A
to B F = qoE
• 𝑊𝐴𝐵 = 𝑃𝐸𝐴 − 𝑃𝐸𝐵
• 𝑊𝐴𝐵 = −∆𝑃𝐸 F = qoE
1.2. Electric Potential Difference
• The potential energy per unit
charge is called the electric
potential. 𝑃𝐸
𝑉=
𝑞 F = qoE
• SI Unit of Electric Potential:
joule/coulomb = volt (V)
•Potential difference (volts)
between B and A : F = qoE
∆𝑃𝐸 𝑃𝐸𝐵 𝑃𝐸𝐴
• ∆𝑉 = 𝑉𝐵 −𝑉𝐴 = = −
𝑞 𝑞 𝑞
1.3. Voltage
• Electric potential is described by many terms.
• The most common term is voltage.
• A voltage applied to a device or across a device
is the same as the potential difference across
the device.
120 V
12 V
300,000 V
1.4. Electron-Volts
•Another unit of energy that is commonly used
in atomic and nuclear physics is the electron-
volt.
•One electron-volt is defined as the energy a
charge-field system gains or loses when a charge
of magnitude e (an electron or a proton) is
moved through a potential difference of 1 volt.
• 1eV = 1.60 × 10−19 J
1.5. Example
Calculate the final speed of a
free electron accelerated
from rest through a potential
difference of 100 V. (Assume
that this numerical value is
accurate to three significant
figures.)
• 𝑚𝑒 = 9.11 × 10−31 kg
• 𝑒 = 1.60 × 10−19 C
Solution
• V = −100 V, 𝑚𝑒 = 9.11 × 10−31 kg,
𝑞 = −𝑒 = −1.60 × 10−19 C
•Conservation of Energy
• KEi +PEi = KEf + Pef
1 1 1
• mvi2 + qVi = mvf2 + qVf → 0 + qVi = mvf2 +
2 2 2
1
qVf → q Vi − Vf = mvf2
2
1 2qV
→ qV = mvf2 →vf=
2 m
2 −1.60×10−19 C −100 V
• vf=
9.11×10−31 kg
• vf= 5.93 × 106 m/s
2. Electric Potential in a Uniform Electric Field
2.1. Work and Potential Difference
• A positive charge q moves from
plate A at higher potential to plate B
at lower potential.
•𝑊𝐴𝐵 = −∆𝑃𝐸 = −q VB − VA
= q VA − VB = qVAB
• 𝑊𝐴𝐵 = q VA − VB = qVAB
2.2. Potential Difference and Electric Field
•𝑊𝐴𝐵 = q VA − VB = qVAB
• Using the expression of the electric
field: 𝑊𝐴𝐵 = Fd = qEd
VAB
•𝑊𝐴𝐵 = qVAB = qEd → E =
d
•For a uniform electric field only:
VAB
VAB = Ed and E =
d
2.3. Example
(a) An electron gun has parallel plates separated
by 4.00 cm and gives electrons 25.0 keV of
energy. What is the electric field strength
between the plates? (b) What force would this
field exert on a piece of plastic with a 0.500 μC
charge that gets between the plates?
Solution
• d = 4.00 cm = 4.00 × 10−2 m
• Ee = 25.0 keV = eVAB → VAB = 25.0 kV = 25000 V
•q = 0.500 μC = 0.500 × 10−6 C
(a)
VAB 25.0×103 V 5
• E= = = 6.25 × 10 V/m
d 4.00×10−2 m
• E = 6.25 × 105 V/m
(b)
• F = qE= 5.00 × 10−7 C 6.25 × 105 V/m = 0.313 N
•F = 0.313 N
3. Electric Potential Due to Point Charges
3.1. Electric Potential of a Point Charge (q)
𝑞 𝑞0
•Force: 𝐹 = 𝑘 F
𝑟2
𝑄
•Electric field: 𝐸 = 𝑘 q
𝑟2
•The electric potential V of a
point charge q is given by E
𝑞 q
𝑉=𝑘
𝑟 E
•The electric potential V (Volt) q
is a scalar and has no direction
3.2. Electric Potential Due to Point Charges
•At any point P, the total electric potential due to a
group of source charges equals the algebraic sum of
the electric potentials of all the charges.
q1 q2 q3
• V1 = 𝑘 , V2 = 𝑘 , V3 = 𝑘
r1 r2 r3
+
q3
•V = V1 + V2 + V3 + . . . + P
q1
_ r2
q2
3.3. Example
A demonstration Van de
Graaff generator has a 25.0
cm diameter metal sphere
that produces a voltage of
100 kV near its surface. (See
figure) What excess charge
resides on the sphere?
Solution
• d =25.0 cm, r = d/2 = 12.5 cm
•V = 100 kV = 1.00 × 105 V
• The potential on the surface
will be the same as that of a
point charge at the center of the
sphere, 12.5 cm away. (The radius
of the sphere is 12.5 cm.)
𝑞 𝑉𝑟
•𝑉 = 𝑘 →𝑞=
𝑟 𝑘
1.00×105 V12.5×10−2 m
•𝑞 =
8.99 ×109 N.m2/C2
• q = 1.39 × 10−6 C = 1.39 μC
3.4. Example: Total electric Potential
At locations A and B, find the total electric
potential.
Solution
(a) At A
k q1 k q2
VA = +
r1 r2 r1 r2
VA =
(8.99 10 9
N m 2 C 2 )( +8.0 10−9 C )
+
(8.99 10 9
N m 2 C 2 )( −8.0 10 −9 C )
= +240 V
0.20 m 0.60 m
(b) At B
k q1 k q2
VB = +
r1 r2
r1 r2
VB =
( 8.99 10 9
N m 2 C 2 )( +8.0 10−9 C )
+
( 8.99 10 9
N m 2 C 2 )( −8.0 10 −9 C )
=0 V
0.40 m 0.40 m
4. Equipotential Lines
4.1. Single Point Charge
• An isolated point charge Q with
its electric field lines in blue and
equipotential lines in green.
• The potential is the same along
each equipotential line, meaning
that no work is required to move
a charge anywhere along one of
those lines.
• Work is needed to move a
charge from one equipotential
line to another.
• Equipotential lines are
perpendicular to electric field
lines in every case.
4.2. Two Equal and Opposite Charges
• The electric field lines and
equipotential lines for two
equal but opposite charges.
• The equipotential lines can
be drawn by making them
perpendicular to the electric
field lines.
• Note that the potential is
greatest (most positive) near
the positive charge and least
(most negative) near the
negative charge.
4.3. Two Equal Charges
(a) These equipotential lines might be measured with a voltmeter in a
laboratory experiment.
(b) The corresponding electric field lines are found by drawing them
perpendicular to the equipotentials. Note that these fields are consistent
with two equal negative charges.
4.4. Two Parallel Conducting Plates
• Between the plates, the
equipotentials are evenly
spaced and parallel.
• The same field could be
maintained by placing
conducting plates at the
equipotential lines at the
potentials shown.
5. Capacitors and Dielectrics
5.1. Parallel Plate Capacitor
• A parallel plate capacitor
consists of two metal plates,
one carrying charge +q and
the other carrying charge –q.
• It is common to fill the
region between the plates
with an electrically insulating
substance called a dielectric.
5.2. Examples of Capacitors
5.3. Capacitance
• The magnitude of the charge on
each plate of the capacitor is directly
proportional to the magnitude of the
potential difference between the
plates. 𝑄 =CV
• The capacitance C is the proportionality constant.
• Unit of Capacitance: coulomb/volt = farad (F)
5.4. Capacitance of a Parallel Plate Capacitor
• A parallel-plate capacitor
has capacitance
𝐴
𝐶 = 𝜀0
𝑑
• 𝜀0 = 8.85 × 10−12 F/m Is
the permittivity of free
space (electric constant).
5.5. Example
(a) What is the capacitance of a parallel plate
capacitor with metal plates, each of area 1.00
m2 , separated by 1.00 mm? (b) What charge is
stored in this capacitor if a voltage of 3.00×103 V
is applied to it?
Solution
• A = 1.00 m2 , d = 1.00 mm = 1.00 × 10−3 m, V
= 3.00×103 V
(a)
A 1.00 m 2
• C = ε0 = 8.85 × 10−12 F/m
d 1.00×10−3 m
• C= 8.85 × 10−9 F= 8.85 nF
(b)
• Q =CV = 8.85 × 10−9 F 3.00×103 V
• Q = 26.6 × 10−6 C = 26.6 μC
5.6. Capacitors with Dielectrics
5.6.1. Capacitance
•A dielectric is a nonconducting
material that, when placed
between the plates of a capacitor,
increases the capacitance.
– Dielectrics include rubber, glass,
and waxed paper
•With a dielectric, the capacitance
becomes C = κCo.
– The capacitance increases by the
factor κ when the dielectric
completely fills the region between
the plates.
– κ is the dielectric constant of the
material.
Capacitance, Cont.
• Parallel plate capacitor filled with a
dielectric:
𝐴
𝐶 = 𝐾𝜀0
𝑑
•K: dielectric constant of the
material.
• For vacuum (nothing), 𝜅 = 1
• Air- 𝜅 = 1.00059
• Nylon- 𝜅 = 3.4
• Pyrex Glass- 𝜅 = 5.6
5.6.2. Example
Consider the parallel plate
capacitor shown in figure. The
separation between the plates is
5.00 mm. The plate area is 9.50
× 10-5m2 and the capacitor is
filled with a material whose
dielectric constant is 3.50.
Calculate the capacitance of this
capacitor.
Solution
• A = 9.50 × 10-5 m2 , d = 5.00 mm =
5.00 × 10−3 m, K = 3.50
A
•C = Kε0
d
9.50 × 10−5 m2
= 3.50 × 8.85 × 10−12 F/m
5.00 × 10−3 m
• C= 0.589 × 10−12 F
6. Capacitors in Series and Parallel
6.1. Capacitors in Series
(a) Capacitors connected in series.
The magnitude of the charge on
each plate is 𝑄 .
(b) An equivalent capacitor has a
larger plate separation d . Series
connections produce a total
capacitance that is less than that of
any of the individual capacitors.
1 1 1 1
= + +
𝐶𝑠 𝐶1 𝐶2 𝐶3
6.2. Capacitors in Parallel
(a) Capacitors in parallel. Each is
connected directly to the voltage
source just as if it were all alone,
and so the total capacitance in
parallel is just the sum of the
individual capacitances.
(b) The equivalent capacitor has
a larger plate area and can
therefore hold more charge than
the individual capacitors. 𝐶𝑝 = 𝐶1 + 𝐶2 + 𝐶3
6.3. Example: capacitors in series
Find the total capacitance for three capacitors
connected in series, given their individual
capacitances are 1.000, 5.000, and 8.000 μF
Solution
• C1 = 1.000 μF, C2 = 5.000 μF, and C3 = 8.000 μF
1 1 1 1 1
• = + + → 𝐶𝑠 = 1 1 1
𝐶𝑠 𝐶1 𝐶2 𝐶3 + +
𝐶1 𝐶2 𝐶3
1
• Cs = 1 1 1 = 0.755 μF
+ +
1.000 μF 5.000 μF 8.000 μF
• Cs = 0.755 μF
6.4 Example: capacitors in series and parallel
Find the total capacitance of the combination of
capacitors shown in figure ( C1 = 1.000 μF, C2 =
5.000 μF, and C3 = 8.000 μF).
Solution
• C1 = 1.000 μF, C2 = 5.000 μF, and C3 = 8.000 μF
1 1 1 1
• = + → 𝐶𝑠 = 1 1
𝐶𝑠 𝐶1 𝐶2 +
𝐶1 𝐶2
1
• Cs = 1 1 = 0.8333 μF
+
1.000 μF 5.000 μF
• 𝐶𝑡𝑜𝑡 = 𝐶𝑠 + 𝐶3
• Ctot = 0.8333 μF + 8.000 μF = 8.833 μF
• Ctot = 8.833 μF
7. Energy Stored in Capacitors
7.1. Introduction
Energy stored in the large capacitor is
used to preserve the memory of an
electronic calculator when its batteries
are charged.
Automated external defibrillators are found in many public places. These
portable units provide verbal instructions for use in the important first few
minutes for a person suffering a cardiac attack.
7.2. Expression of Energy Stored in
Capacitors
•Capacitors can store electric potential energy so the
stored energy depends on the charge Q, and potential V.
1
• 𝐸𝑐𝑎𝑝 = QV
2
•Since Q = CV from the definition of capacitance,
1 1 2 𝑄2
𝐸𝑐𝑎𝑝 = QV = C𝑉 =
2 2 2𝐶
7.3. Example
A heart defibrillator delivers 4.00×102 J of
energy by discharging a capacitor initially at
1.00×104 V . What is its capacitance?
Solution
• Ecap = 4.00×102 J, V = 1.00×104 V
1 2Ecap
• Ecap = CV 2 →C=
2 V2
24.00×102 J −6
• C= 4 2 = 8.00 × 10 F
1.00×10 V
• C = 8.00 × 10−6 F = 8.00μF