Module 2
Electric Potential
[Link] 2
O. B. J. E. C. T. I. V. E. S.
After going through this module, you are
expected to:
[Link] the electric potential with work,
potential energy, and electric field
[Link] the electric potential function at
any point due to highly symmetric continuous-
charge distributions;
O. B. J. E. C. T. I. V. E. S.
[Link] the direction and strength of electric
field vector, nature of the electric field sources,
and electrostatic potential surfaces given the
equipotential lines;
[Link] the electric field in the region
given a mathematical function describing its
potential in a region of space;
O. B. J. E. C. T. I. V. E. S.
[Link] problems involving electric potential
energy and electric potentials energy and
electric potentials in contexts such as but not
limited to, electron guns in CRT TV pictures
tubes ad Van de Graaff generators.
RECAP!
In the previous topic, you had learned about
the concepts and problems involving electricity.
Matter is composed of protons, neutrons and
electrons. There are two types of electric
charges. They are called positive and
negative. The protons are positive and the
electrons are negative.
RECAP!
The rules that govern the behaviors of
electric charges are like charges repel,
opposite charges attract and only negative
(electrons) move in solid conductors. You also
learned that electric field is radially outward
from a positive charge and radially in toward a
negative point
Lesson 1
Electric Potential
Energy
What is a potential electric energy?
Electric potential energy, or electrostatic
potential energy, is a potential energy
(measures in joules) that results from
conservative Coulomb forces and is
associated with the configuration of a
particular set of point charges within a
defined system.
Figure 1. Increasing electrical potential energy U as a point charge
moves in opposite direction of the electrical force .
Suppose we have a small
positive charge ( + q ) placed
in an electric field region
produced by charge as shown
in Figure 1. If we apply a force
to move it farther away, what
happens to its energy?
To answer the previous
question, electric potential energy
depends in the position of the
charge in an electric field region.
The electric potential energy (U) of
the charge increases when you
move it opposite the direction of the
electric force. The unit for U is
Joule. Thus, the (q0 ) in Figure 1
increases its electric potential
energy as it moved away from the
electric field region.
Figure 2. Decreasing electrical potential energy U as a point charge
moves in the same direction of the electrical force .
Suppose we have positive
charge as a source of electric field
instead of negative charge (as
shown in Figure 2). What will
happen to the electric potential
energy as we move a positive
small charge away from it? This
time, its electric potential energy
will decrease. Why?
But suppose we
have a positive charge
as shown in Figure 2.
Then, the electric
potential energy (U)
decreases when you
move it in the same
direction as the electric
force.
When a charged particle moves in an
electric field, the field exerts a force that
can do work on the particle. The work can
be expressed in terms of electric potential
energy. Electric potential energy
depends only on the position of the
charged particle in the electric field.
The potential energy of a test charge in the vicinity
of this source charge is given by the following equation:
Where:
U = electric potential energy
K = Coulomb’ law constant
Q = fixed charge
q = test charge
r = distance between Q and q
What is the difference between electric potential energy
and Electric Potential?
The electric potential (also called electrostatic
potential or simply potential) at any point in an
electric field E is electric potential energy per
unit charge at that point. Electric potential is
designated with V.
𝑈
𝑉=
𝑞0
Electric potential is a scalar quantity. Its SI unit
is the volt named after Alessandro Volta who
devised one of the first electric cell. Note: 1 V is The Voltaic Pile Battery
was invented by an Italian
equal to 1 Joule/Coulomb (J/C). physicist Alessandro Volta.
If we increase the charge that we are moving,
the electric potential energy (U) also increase at the
same rate. If we doubled the charge, U is also
doubled. Since they are directly proportional, it is
much easier to deal with Electric Potential Energy of
one charge. The electric potential is the electric
potential energy per unit charge.
It is given by the equation:
𝑷𝑬 𝑾
𝑽= or 𝑽 =
𝒒 𝒒
Where:
V = electric potential
(voltage)
W = Work (Joule)
q = charge
(Coulomb)
The amount of work done by the
person is 40 J, this is also the amount of
electrical potential energy that is
possessed by all four charges together.
What is the electric potential?
Given:
W= 40J
q= 4C
The following diagrams show an electric
field (represented by arrows) and two points
- labeled A and B - located within the electric
field. A positive test charge is shown at point
A. For each diagram, indicate whether work
must be done upon the charge to move it
from point A to point B. Finally, indicate the
point (A or B) with the greatest electric
potential energy and the greatest electric
potential.
KEY IDEA (APPLIES TO BOTH DIAGRAMS)
• Electric field arrows point from high electric potential
to low electric potential.
• A positive charge naturally moves with the electric
field (from higher potential to lower potential).
• If you move a positive charge in the same direction
as the field, the field does the work (you do no work).
• If you move a positive charge against the field, you
must do work on it.
• Electric potential energy 𝑈 = 𝑞𝑉 → for a positive
charge, higher potential means higher potential energy.
1. Work done on the charge? No
Point A → Point B is in the same
direction as the electric field arrows.
The electric field pushes the positive charge
toward B, so you do not need to do work.
2. Electric potential energy greatest at: A
Since A is at higher electric potential,
the positive charge has greater 𝑈 = 𝑞𝑉at A.
3. Electric potential greatest at: A
Electric potential decreases in the
direction the field points (to the right), so A is
at higher potential.
Now the charge is at A on the right, and B is
to the left.
The electric field still points to the right.
To move the charge from A → B, you are
moving it against the electric field.
1. Work done on the charge? Yes
You must push the positive charge
against the field to move it from A to B.
2. Electric potential energy greatest at: B
B is to the left (upstream of the field),
so it is at higher electric potential; for a
positive charge, that means higher potential
energy.
3. Electric potential greatest at: B
Because the field arrows point right,
potential is highest on the left—at B.
ACTIVITY: ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
Let us find out if you really understood the discussed
concept by answering these follow-up exercise.
The following diagrams show an electric field
(represented by arrows) and two points - labeled A and B -
located within the electric field. A positive test charge is
shown at point A. For each diagram, indicate whether work
must be done upon the charge to move it from point A to
point B. Finally, indicate the point (A or B) with the greatest
electric potential energy and the greatest electric potential.
Lesson 2
Equipotential
Surfaces
Figure 3. Isolated point charge with its electric field lines in red
and equipotential lines in blue.
Consider Figure 3, which
shows an isolated positive point
charge and its electric field lines,
which radiate out from a positive
charge and terminate on negative
charges.
These are called equipotential
surfaces in three dimensions,
or equipotential lines in two
dimensions.
Equipotential surface is the imaginary
surface on which at every point the potential is
the same. The term equipotential also refers to
an equipotential line or surface. The potential
for a point charge is the same anywhere on an
imaginary sphere of radius r surrounding the
charge. This is true because the potential for a
point charge is given by
and thus has the same value at any point that
is a given distance from the charge.
An equipotential sphere is a circle in the two-
dimensional view of Figure 3. Because the electric
field lines point radially away from the charge, they are
perpendicular to the equipotential lines.
It is important to note that equipotential lines are
always perpendicular to electric field lines. No work
is required to move a charge along an equipotential,
since . Thus, the work is 0.
Figure 4. The electric field lines and equipotential lines for two equal
but opposite charges.
Figure 4 shows
the electric field and
equipotential lines for
two equal and opposite
charges.
Given the electric field lines, the equipotential
lines can be drawn simply by making them
perpendicular to the electric field lines, if those
are known.
Note that the potential is greatest (most
positive) near the positive charge, least (most
negative) near the negative charge, and zero far
away from the charges.
1. If we have Q= 10−6 C at the origin, what
are the equipotential surfaces at which
potential is (a) 200 V? (b) 100 V?
(a) (b)
Thus, 200 V equipotential surface is surface of sphere of
radius 90 m & 45 m at 100 V equipotential surface.
ACTIVITY: EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES
Let us find out if you really understood the
discussed concept by answering these follow-up
exercise.
Calculate the electric potential of at (a) 1 m
(b) 2 m (c) infinite long distance from it.