Chapter 19.

1: Electric Potential
Energy & Electric Potential
PHY 108/202
Spring 2021
Which is more dangerous, touching a faulty 110-volt
light bulb or a Van de Graaff generator charged to
100,000 volts?
 
We remember:  
r2

W =  F dr WTOT = K

r1
F
dr W>0 Object speeds up ( ΔK > 0 )

F
dr
or
W<0 Object slows down (ΔK < 0 )
F
dr

F
dr W=0 Constant speed (ΔK = 0 )
 Potential Energy

U  Wconservative
If gravity does negative work, potential energy increases!
Same idea for Coulomb force… if Coulomb force does negative
work, potential energy increases.

+
F
+

x Coulomb force does negative work

+ + Potential energy increases
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

Electric potential energy is the energy stored in an electric

field.

Slide 5
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

For both gravitational and electric potential energy, the

change in potential energy when objects move around is
equal in magnitude but opposite in sign to the work done by
the field:

The amount of energy is taken from stored potential

energy. The field dips into its “potential energy bank
account” and gives the energy to the object, so the potential
energy decreases when the force does positive work.

Slide 6
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

Slide 7
Electrical Potential Energy of Two Point
Charges
q1q2
Ur º DU ¥r = ke
r

r = separation distance between q1 and q2

 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
Potential Energy due to Several Point Charges
To find the potential energy due to more than two point
charges, we add the potential energies of each pair of
charges.

For three point charges, there are three pairs, so the

potential energy is

The potential energy is the negative of the work done by the

electric field as the three charges are put into their positions,
starting from infinite separation .

Slide 9
 Checkpoint
A charge of +Q is fixed
in space. A second
charge of +q was first
placed at a distance r1
away from +Q. Then it
was moved along a
straight line to a new
position at a distance R
away from its starting
position. The final
location of +q is at a
distance r2 from +Q.

What is the change in the potential energy of charge +q during this process?

a. kQq/R
b. kQqR/r12
c. kQqR/r22
d. kQq((1/r2)-(1/r1))
e. kQq((1/r1)-(1/r2))
 Checkpoint
Two charges which are equal in
magnitude, but opposite in sign, are
placed at equal distances from point A
as shown.

If a third charge is added to the system

and placed at point A, how does the
electric potential energy of the charge
collection change?

a. Potential energy increases

b. Potential energy decreases
c. Potential energy does not change
d. The answer depends on the sign of the
third charge
 Checkpoint
Two point charges are separated by some
distance as shown. The charge of the first is
positive. The charge of the second is negative
and its magnitude is twice as large as the first.

Is it possible find a place to bring a third charge in from infinity

without changing the total potential energy of the system?

a. YES, as long as the third charge is positive

b. YES, as long as the third charge is negative
c. YES, no matter what the sign of the third
charge
d. NO
Chapter 19 Activity 1