ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

AND POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

Prerequisites: Work and Energy

1 Electric Potential Energy

Electric Potential Energy is the counterpart of gravitational potential energy in mechanics. The
electric potential energy associated with a test charge q0 with respect to another charge is given by,
1 qq0
U= (1)
4π0 r
For several point charges, the potential energy associated with q0 is with respect to two or more point
charges is given by,
 
q0 q1 q 2 q3 q0 X qi
U= + + + ... = (2)
4π0 r1 r2 r3 4π0 i ri
Since electric potential energy is just like the gravitational potential energy, the force associated with
this, the electric force, is also conservative.

Suppose a test charge q0 moves from a to b in an electric field produced by a single point charge or
by a collection of point charges, the work done by the electric force on that test charge is given by,

Wa→b = −∆U = −(Ub − Ua ) = Ua − Ub (3)

~ , W , and U
Remarks about F

~ , negative W is done
• If the test charge q0 moves in the direction opposite of the electric force F
on q0 and U increases
~ , positive W is done on q0 and
• If the test charge q0 moves in the direction of the electric force F
U decreases

EXAMPLE:

A positron (the electron’s antiparticle) has mass 9.11×10−31 kg and charge q0 = +e = +1.60×10−19
C. Suppose a positron moves in the vicinity of an α particle, which has charge q = +2e = 3.20×10−19
C and mass 6.64 × 10−27 kg. The α particle’s mass is more than 7000 times that of the positron,
so we assume that the α particle remains at rest. When the positron is 1.00 × 10− 10 m from the α
particle, it is moving directly away from the α particle at 3.00 × 106 m/s. (a) What is the positron’s
speed when the particles are 2.00 × 10−10 m apart? (b) What is the positron’s speed when it is very
far from the α particle? (c) Suppose the initial conditions are the same but the moving particle is an
electron (with the same mass as the positron but charge q0 = −e). Describe the subsequent motion.

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2 Electric Potential
2.1 Potential and Potential Difference
Electric potential or potential, V is potential energy U per unit charge q0 given by:
U
V = (4)
q0
SI Unit: *volt (V); named after the Italian electrical experimenter Alessandro Volta
*1 volt = 1 joule/coulomb (1 J/C)

Considering a displacement from point a to point b, the Wa→b on a per unit charge basis will be given
by,
Wa→b
= Va − Vb = Vab (5)
q0
where Va = potential at point a
Vb = potential at point b
Vab = potential of a with respect to b (often called as the potential
difference (voltage) from a to b)
Equation 5 states that the potential Vab equals the work done by the electric force when a
unit charge (1 C) moves from a to b.

Voltmeter is an instrument that measures potential difference between two points.

From (4), electric potential due to a single point charge becomes,

1 q
V = (6)
4π0 r
For a collection of point charges,
1 X qi
V = (7)
4π0 i ri
For a continuous charge distribution,
Z
1 dq
V = (8)
4π0 r

2.2 Potential and Electric Field

The electric potential is closely related to the electric field due to a charge (single, collection, or
distribution). The relation is given by,
Z b Z b
Va − Vb = ~ ~
E · dl or Va − Vb = E cosφ dl (9)
a a

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 ~ and F
Remarks about V , E, ~:

~ means moving in the direction of decreasing V .

1. Moving with the direction of E
~ means moving in the direction of increasing V .
2. Moving against the direction of E
~ in the direction of E,
3. A positive charge experiences an electric force F ~ toward lower values of
V.
~ opposite of E,
4. A negative charge experiences an electric force F ~ toward higher values of V .

~
From equation 6, we can say that the unit volt/meter (V/m) is also a unit of the electric field E.

EXAMPLE:

An electric dipole is placed 20.0 cm apart. Compute the electric potentials at points a, b, and c.

3 Electron Volts
The magnitude e of the charge of an electron can be used to define a unit of energy given as the
product of the magnitude of the electron charge and a potential difference of 1 V. This quantity is
defined to be 1 electron volt (1 eV).

1 eV = 1.602 × 10−19 J

1 electron volt (eV) defines the energy associated of a charge q = e moving through a potential
difference Vab = 1 V.

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EXAMPLES: Conversion
Convert the following values.

1. 3.204 × 10−19 J to eV.

2. 3.204 × 10−16 J to keV.

3. 7.772 × 103 J to meV.

SW/HW:

1. An α particle (q = +2e) moves a distance of 3,700 cm from a to b in a linear accelerator. A

uniform electric field with a magnitude of E = 1.95 × 109 V/m in the direction of the particle’s
motion is present in the accelerator. (a) Determine the force on the α particle. (b) How much
work is done to it by the field? (c) Determine the potential difference Va − Vb .

2. A particle with charge q0 = 3.00 nC starts from rest and moves in a straight line from point a
to point b with a speed of 107 m/s. as shown below. What is the mass of the particle?

3. Show that equation 9 will result to equation 6.