Physics102-Electric Potential

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
• Define and explain electric potential energy and potential difference.

• Apply the relation between electric potential and electric field.

• Calculate the electric potential due to point charges and charge distributions.

• Explain the concept of equipotential surfaces and their properties.

• Determine the electric potential of a dipole.

• Derive the electric field vector from the potential function.

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
Introduction

- In the previous topics we have explained the effect of charges in space by electric field.

- The effect of charges in space can also be explained with another concept, the electric potential.

- Electric field is a vector quantity but the electric potential is a scalar quantity.

The concepts of electric field and electric potential are closely related.
Electric Potential Difference

Let’s first remind the definition of potential energy.

Potential energy is defined as the negative of the work done by the conservative force in
changing the system from the initial configuration - A to the final configuration - B.
B
U B − U A = ΔU = − F  ds
A

here, ds is a vector, the path element in moving from A to B.

Note that the electrical force is a conservative force. So the work done by the electrical force
depends only the initial and final positions not the path fallowed.

The force acting on a charge particle in the electric field is given by,
F = qE
Physics102-Electric Potential

Suppose a charge q moves from point A to point B. The change in the electrical potential of the
is defined as;

ΔU U B − U A B
VB − VA = ΔV = = = −  E  ds
q q A

The SI unit of V is Joule/coulomb = Volt (V).

Electric Potential Difference in a Uniform Electric field

Suppose a charge is moved from point A to Point B.

B
VB − VA = −  E ds
A

• VB and VA are the electric potentials at points B and A, respectively.

• E is the electric field, and ds is the differential displacement.

Since E and ds are parallel, we can write,

VB − VA = −Ed  0 negative,

OR

VB − VA = −Ed  0 positive.

d is the distance between A and B.

The electrical potential decreases when moved along the field. Conversely, the electrical
potential increases when moved opposite direction to the electric field.

From the above equations you may figure out that another Si unit of the electric field is V/m.

V / m = N / c.
Recall the equation relating the ΔV and ΔU,

ΔU
ΔV = , ΔU = qΔV
q
Physics102-Electric Potential

Note that the product of qV is the unit of energy.

Problem:
While solving this problem you will learn another unit of energy, the electron volt, eV frequently
used to express the energies of the sub atomic particles.

Refer to the above figure, the electric potential difference between the plates is ΔV = 1 V. A
proton is released from the positive plate. What is its kinetic energy as it hits the negative plate?

Solution Kf – Kf = e 1V = 1eV , one electron volt, since Vi = 0, Ki = 0.

K f = 1eV = (1.6 10−19 C )  (1J/C)

1 eV = 1.6 10−19 J
1 keV = 1.6 10−16 J
1 MeV = 1.6 10−13 J
Example1
Physics102-Electric Potential

Example2

Example3
Physics102-Electric Potential

Problems
Physics102-Electric Potential
Physics102-Electric Potential

Electric Potential Due to a Point Charge

Electric potential due to a point charge at a distance r is obtained as,

V = kq / r.
where:

• k is Coulomb's constant (8.99 × 10^9 N·m²/C²).

• q is the charge, and r is the distance from the charge.

Note that the electric potential is positive for positive charge and negative for negative charge.

Question: Show that electric potential at the midpoint of an electric dipole is zero. Actually,
electric potential of all points in a plane perpendicular to the dipole moment passing through the
midpoint are zero.

Problems
Physics102-Electric Potential

Electric Potential Energy of Two Point Charge System

Consider a point charge q1 and point P at a distance r from the point charge.
How much energy needed to move charge q2 from infinity to point P?

kq1
E = q2 (V − V ) = q2V = q2
r

kq1q2
E =U =
r

This is the potential energy of two-point charge system.

Electric potential energy, U is the energy needed to bring the charges from infinite separation to a
separation r.
Note that the electric potential energy is positive for like charges and negative for unlike charges.
Physics102-Electric Potential

If there are mora than two charges, you write potential energy for each pair of charges and add
them to obtain the total potential energy.

Potential Due to Any Charge Distribution

For a continuous charge distribution, the electric potential is calculated as:

1 1
V =  dq
4 0 r

Where dq is the charge element and r is the distance from the element to the point of interest.

Problems

Equipotential Surfaces
An equipotential surface is a surface where the electric potential remains constant. Since no work
is done moving a charge along an equipotential surface, it is always perpendicular to the electric
field lines.

Electric Dipole Potential

An electric dipole consists of two equal and opposite charges separated by a distance d. The
potential due to a dipole at a point P is given by:
Physics102-Electric Potential

V =
1 p Cos 
4 0 r2

where p = qd is the dipole moment and θ is the angle from the dipole axis.

Problems
Physics102-Electric Potential

Relation Between Electric Potential and Electric Field

B
VB − VA = ΔV = ΔU /q = (U B − U A )/q = −  E  ds
A

Using the above equation, we can write the potential difference dV between two points ds apart.

dV dV dV
dV = −E  ds, Ex = − , Ey = − , Ez = −
dx dy dz

Problems

General Problems