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Electric Potential

The word potential is referred to as the configuration or the state of a body or

a matter that can be realized in the future. In class 9th, you must have across
the term gravitational potential energy. It is the energy stored by a body by
virtue of its height. If one raises the height of an object, in doing so it raises
the gravitational potential energy of the body. Similarly, one can establish a
parallel in electricity as well. Let us take an example: -
Consider two water filled beakers: A and B, connected by means of a pipe that
run through one beaker to another. Both the beaker has water filled up to the
same level and there is no flow of water between them. Could you make the
water flow from beaker B to the beaker A without changing the amount of
water in any of the beaker?

No. It will not be possible. Why is it the case? Or rather you may think what
would make the water flow. It is not so difficult! One of the way you could
establish the flow of water is by raising the height of the beaker B. Once it is
raised to a certain height, the water will begin to flow. What made the water
flow?

In simple terms, it was the action of gravity or the pressure differential created
by the gravity. Now, we need to find the factor that would allow the flow of
electric charge in a conductor; a force that enables the charge to flow in a
conductor.

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 Electric Potential
Let us take a metal plate. We are going to add positive charge (+q) to it. We
have just learnt that it is the property displayed by the metal conductors that
the charge always resides on the surface of the conductor. As we continue to
add positive charge to the conductor, eventually the charge accumulated on
the surface of the metal plate will prevent any further addition of positive
charge (Like charge repel each other!)

To overcome that resistance, we will have to do some work against the

repulsive nature of the force to get the charge near the metal plate. That
amount of work done per unit of charge is defined as electric potential.
The amount of work done in moving a unit charge from infinity (a point
unknown) to a certain point is known as electric potential.
Mathematically, we can write the expression for electric potential as;
Work done (W )
Electric Potential(V ) =
Ch arg e(Q)

The electric potential is measure in volts V, or J/C.

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

The amount of work done in moving a unit charge from a point of lower
potential to that of higher potential is defined as the electric potential difference.
The electric potential difference, is a relative measure of electric potential
between two points. In fact, as you will learn later on that it is the difference
that is of greater importance than the absolute value of the electric potential
itself.
In the previous example, if we already know the position of the unit charge,
Q, let’s say A, and we were to move it to a point B on the metal plate, then
according to the definition, the change in electric potential in bringing the

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 charge from point A (lower potential) to point B (higher potential) is the
amount of work done per unit charge;

W
VA − AB =
Q
The SI unit of potential difference is JC-1 or Volt (V)
Now, you might be wondering which device generate a potential difference in
a circuit. It is same as asking; if a take a copper wire and connect a bulb to it
would it light up on its own? Of course not. The circuit is yet incomplete. There
must be a potential difference, driving the electric charge or loosely bond
electrons in the conductor to flow. For that we use a cell; a device that
converts the chemical energy into electrical energy.
Note: - You may think of it as raising the height of the electron from the activity we
performed earlier. A cell produces the necessary difference of potential (electric potential
difference) which force the charge to flow in the conductor; which is in fact an electric
current. We will learn more about it in later classes.

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