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Chapter 2A
Electric Potential

Contents of Chapter 2A

• Electric Potential Energy and Potential Difference

• Relation between Electric Potential and Electric Field
• Equipotential Lines and Surfaces
• The Electron Volt, a Unit of Energy
• Electric Potential Due to Point Charges
• Potential Due to Electric Dipole; Dipole Moment

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2.1 Electric Potential Energy and

Potential Difference

The electrostatic force is

conservative—potential energy
can be defined
What is conservative force?
Work just depend on position not
the path.

• When a positive charge +q moves

from some point a to another point b,
– potential energy decreases.
– work done by the electric force is
positive.
• So change in electric potential energy
is negative of work done by electric
force:

• The +q accelerates from point a to b,

loss potential energy but gain kinetic
energy.

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2.1 Electric Potential Energy and

Potential Difference
• Electric potential is defined as potential energy per
unit charge;
• If a +q in an electric field has electric potential energy
at some point a (relative to some zero potential
energy), the electric potential at this point is analogous
to definition of electric field as force per unit charge:

• Unit of electric potential: the volt (V).

1 V = 1 J/C.
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2.1 Electric Potential Energy and

Potential Difference

Only changes in potential can be measured (voltage).

Using voltmeter.

Electric force depend on test charge.

Electric potential and electric field doesn't depend on
test charge.

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Positive plate has higher

potential, negative plate
has lower potential

• Suppose a negative charge, such as an electron, is

placed near the negative plate, at point b, as shown in
figure above. If the electron is free to move, will its
electric potential energy increase or decrease? How
will the electric potential change?

• Potential between a and b is 6V and a

1C +ve charge moves from b to a
– Charge gain (1C)(6V) = 6 J potential
energy
• Energy means ability to do work.
• The electric potential difference is
also a measure of how much work a
given charge can do.
• Amount of energy or work depends
both on the potential difference and
on the charge.

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2.1 Electric Potential Energy and

Potential Difference

Analogy between gravitational and electrical potential

energy. Just as the more massive rock has more potential
energy, so does the larger charge:

Example 1

Suppose an electron is accelerated from rest through a

potential difference Vb – Va = Vba = +5000V.
(a) What is the change in electric potential energy of the
electron?
(b) What is the kinetic energy and
(c) Speed of electron as a result of this acceleration?
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Solution 1
Change in potential energy is

The minus sign indicates that the potential energy

decreases
The potential energy lost by the electron becomes kinetic
energy

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2.2 Relation between Electric Potential and

Electric Field
Electric field – vector
Electric potential – scalar
Work is charge multiplied by change in electric potential:

Work is also force multiplied by distance:

Solving for the field,

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2.2 Relation between Electric Potential and

Electric Field

In general, the electric field in a given direction at any

point in space is equal to the rate at which the electric
potential decreases over distance in that direction.
The minus sign tell us that E point in the direction of
decreasing potential V.

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Example 2

Two parallel plates are charged to

produce a potential difference of 50 V.
If the separation between the plates is
0.050 m, calculate the magnitude of
the electric field in the space between
the plates.

Solution

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2.3 Equipotential Lines and Surfaces

An equipotential is a line or surface

over which the potential is constant.
Electric field lines are perpendicular
to equipotentials lines or surface.
The surface of a conductor is an
equipotential.

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2.3 Equipotential Lines and Surfaces

Equipotential lines of an electric dipole:

Work required to move the charge from the equipotential

surface to the other surface.

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2.4 The Electron Volt, a Unit of Energy

Joule is not suitable unit when dealing with energies of

electrons, atoms, or molecules.
For this purpose, the unit electron volt (eV) is used.
One electron volt (eV) is the energy gained by an
electron moving through a potential difference of
one volt.

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2.5 Electric Potential Due to Point Charges

The electric potential due to a point charge, Q can be

derived using calculus.
Taking r = , Electric field becomes 0.
The result is

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2.5 Electric Potential Due to Point Charges

These plots show the potential

due to (a) positive and (b)
negative charge.

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Example 3
Determine the potential at a point 0.50 m
(a) from a +20 C point charge,
(b) from a –20 C point charge.

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2.5 Electric Potential Due to Point Charges

Using potentials instead of fields can make solving

problems much easier—potential is a scalar quantity,
whereas the field is a vector.

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Example 4

What minimum work must be done by an external force

to bring a 3 C. charge from a great distance away (take
 ) to a point 0.500 m from a charge Q = 20 C.

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Example 5
Calculate the electric potential
(a) at point A due to the two charges shown, and
(b) at point B

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Solution 5
(a) We add the potentials at point A due to each charge
Q1 and Q2

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Solution 5

The potential will be zero everywhere on the plane

equidistant between the two opposite charges.

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2.6 Potential Due to Electric Dipole;

Dipole Moment

The potential due to an electric dipole is just the

sum of the potentials due to each charge, and can
be calculated exactly.

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2.6 Potential Due to Electric Dipole;

Dipole Moment

Approximation for potential

far from dipole:

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2.6 Potential Due to Electric Dipole;

Dipole Moment

Or, defining the dipole moment p = Ql,

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