ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY AND

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

• Potential Energy
• The Electric Potential Difference
• The Electric Potential Difference Created by
Point Charges
• The Equipotential Surfaces and their
Relation to the Electric Field
• Capacitors and Dielectrics
POTENTIAL ENERGY
 can be associated with a conservative force
 it exists that is analogous to the gravitational potential
energy
 analogy between electric and gravitational electric
potential energies
POTENTIAL ENERGY
 first figure shows a basketball of mass m falling from point
A to point B
 the gravitational force, 𝑚𝒈, is the only force acting on the
ball, where g is the magnitude of the acceleration due to
gravity
 the work WAB done by the gravitational force when the ball
falls from a height of hA to a height of hB is
𝑊𝐴𝐵 = 𝑚𝑔ℎ𝐴 − 𝑚𝑔ℎ𝐵 = 𝐺𝑃𝐸𝐴 − 𝐺𝑃𝐸𝐵
where mghA is the initial GPEA and mghB is the initial GPEB
 recall that the quantity mgh is the gravitational potential
energy of the ball, GPE = mgh, and represents the energy
that the ball has by virtue of its position relative to the
surface of the earth
 thus, the work done by the gravitational force equals the
initial minus the final gravitational potential energy
POTENTIAL ENERGY
 a positive test charge +q0 is situated at point A between two
oppositely charged plates
 because of the charges on the plates, an electric field 𝑬 exists
in the region between the plates
 the test charge experiences an electric force, 𝑭 = 𝑞0 𝑬 that is
directed downward, toward the lower plate (gravitational
force neglected)
 as the charge moves from A to B, work is done by this force, in
a fashion analogous to the work done by the gravitational
force in the drawing (ball)
 The work WAB done by the electric force equals the difference
between the electric potential energy EPE at A and that at B:
𝑊𝐴𝐵 = 𝐸𝑃𝐸𝐴 − 𝐸𝑃𝐸𝐵
 the path along which the test charge moves from A to B is of
no consequence because the electric force is a conservative
force, and so the work WAB is the same for all paths
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
 since the electric force is 𝑭 = 𝑞0 𝑬, the work that it does as
the charge moves from A to B in the 2nd figure depends on
the charge q0
 it is useful to express this work on a per-unit-charge basis,
by dividing both sides of the equation by the charge:
𝑊𝐴𝐵 𝐸𝑃𝐸𝐴 𝐸𝑃𝐸𝐵
= −
𝑞0 𝑞0 𝑞0
 the electric potential V at a given point is the electric
potential energy EPE of a small test charge q0 situated at
that point divided by the charge itself:
𝑉 = 𝐸𝑃𝐸
𝑞 0
 SI Unit of Electric Potential: joule/coulomb = volt (V)
 Volt – in honor of an Italian Physicist Alessandro Volta
 EPE is an energy while the V is an energy per unit charge
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
 Relating the work WAB done by the electric force when a
charge q0 moves from A to B to the potential difference VB –
VA between the point, we have:
𝐸𝑃𝐸𝐵 𝐸𝑃𝐸𝐴 −𝑊𝐴𝐵
𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐴 = − =
𝑞0 𝑞0 𝑞0
 often the “delta” notation is used to express the difference
(final value – initial value):
∆𝑉 = 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐴 and ∆ 𝐸𝑃𝐸 = 𝐸𝑃𝐸𝐵 − 𝐸𝑃𝐸𝐴
∆(𝐸𝑃𝐸) −𝑊𝐴𝐵
∆𝑉 = =
𝑞0 𝑞0
 neither the potential V nor the potential energy EPE can be
determined in an absolute sense, because only the differences
ΔV and Δ(EPE) are measurable in terms of the work WAB
 The gravitational potential energy has this same
characteristic, since only the value at one height relative to
that at some reference height has any significance.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
 A positive charge accelerates from a region of higher
potential toward a region of lower electric potential
 A negative charge accelerates from a region of lower
potential toward a region of higher potential.

 Example 1:

The work done by the electric force as the test charge

(q0 = + 2.0 x 10-6 C) moves from A to B is WAB = + 5.0 x 10-5 J.
(a) Find the value of the difference, Δ(EPE) = EPEB – EPEA, in
the electric potential energies of the charge between these
points. (b) Determine the potential difference, ΔV = VB – VA,
between the points.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
 Example 2:
Three points, A, B, and C, are located along a
horizontal line, as the figure illustrates. A positive test charge
is released from rest at A and accelerates toward B. Upon
reaching B, the test charge continues to accelerate toward C.
Assuming that only motion along the line is possible, what
will a negative test charge do when it is released from rest at
B?
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
 Example 3:
The wattage of a headlight is 60.0 W. Determine the
number of particles, each carrying a charge of 1.60 x 10-19 C
(the magnitude of the charge on an electron), that pass
between the terminals of the 12-V car battery when the
headlight burns for one hour.

 volt can also be used to measure energy not just for

measuring electric potential difference, particularly the
energy of an atomic particle such as a proton or an electron
 this energy unit is called the electron volt (eV)

 “One electron volt is the magnitude of the amount by which

the potential energy of an electron changes when the
electron moves through a potential difference of one volt.”
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
 since the magnitude of the change in potential energy is
𝑞0 𝑉 = −1.60 𝑥 10−19 𝐶 𝑥(1.00𝑉) = 1.60 𝑥 10−19 𝐽, then
1𝑒𝑉 = 1.60 𝑥 10−19 𝐽
 one million eV = MeV

 one billion eV = GeV

 Conservation of Energy: (additional energy = EPE)

1 2
1 2 1 2
𝐸 = 𝑚𝑣 + 𝐼𝜔 + 𝑚𝑔ℎ + 𝑘𝑥 + 𝑬𝑷𝑬
2 2 2
Total Energy = Translational KE + Rotational KE + GPE +
Elastic PE + Electric PE
 If the total energy is conserved as the object moves, then
its final energy Ef is equal to its initial energy E0, or Ef = E0.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
 Example 4:
A particle has a mass of 1.8
x 10-5 kg and a charge of +3.0 x 10-5
C. It is released from rest at point A
and accelerates until it reaches
point B, as Figure a shows. The
particle moves on a horizontal
straight line and does not rotate.
The only forces acting on the
particle are the gravitational force
and an electrostatic force (neither
is shown in the drawing). The
electric potential at A is 25 V
greater than that at B; in other
words, VA – VB = 25 V. What is the
translational speed of the particle
at point B? (ans. 9.1m/s)
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CREATED BY POINT CHARGES
 When the test charge moves from A to B, work is done by
this force.
 Since r varies between rA and rB, the force F also varies, and
the work is not the product of the force and the distance
between the points.
 Recall that work is force times distance only if the force is
constant.
 However, the work WAB can be found with the methods of
integral calculus. The result is
𝑘𝑞𝑞0 𝑘𝑞𝑞0
𝑊𝐴𝐵 = −
𝑟𝐴 𝑟𝐵
 This result is valid whether q is positive or negative, and
whether q0 is positive or negative.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CREATED BY POINT CHARGES
 The potential difference, VB – VA, between A and B can now be
determined by substituting this expression for WAB into the
equation of the potential difference:
−𝑊𝐴𝐵 𝑘𝑞 𝑘𝑞
𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐴 = = −
𝑞0 𝑟𝐵 𝑟𝐴
 As point B is located farther and farther from the charge q, rB
becomes larger and larger.
 In the limit that rB is infinitely large, the term kq/rB becomes zero,
and it is customary to set VB equal to zero also and thus VA = kq/rB
and it is standard convention to omit the subscripts and write the
potential in the following form:
𝑘𝑞
𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑉 =
𝑟
 The symbol V in this equation does not refer to the potential in
any absolute sense. Rather, stands for the amount by which the
potential at a distance r from a point charge differs from the
potential at an infinite distance away.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CREATED BY POINT CHARGES
 In other words, V refers to a
potential difference with the
arbitrary assumption that the
potential at infinity is zero.
 When q is positive, the value
of is also positive, indicating
that the positive charge has
everywhere raised the
potential above the zero
reference value.
 when q is negative, the
potential V is also negative,
indicating that the negative
charge has everywhere
decreased the potential below
the zero reference value.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CREATED BY POINT CHARGES
 Example 5:
Using a zero reference potential at infinity, determine
the amount by which a point charge of 4.0 x 10-8 C alters the
electric potential at a spot 1.2 m away when the charge is (a)
positive and (b) negative.

 A single point charge raises or lowers the potential at a

given location, depending on whether the charge is positive
or negative.
 When two or more charges are present, the potential due to
all the charges is obtained by adding together the individual
potentials.
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CREATED BY POINT CHARGES
 Example 6:  Example 7: (Conceptual)

At locations A and B in Two point charges are

the figure below, find the total fixed in place, as in the figure.
electric potential due to the The positive charge is +2q and
two point charges. has twice the magnitude of the
negative charge, which is −q.
On the line that passes through
the charges, how many places
are there at which the total
potential is zero?
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE CREATED BY POINT CHARGES
 Problem Solving Insight:
At any location, the total electric potential is the
algebraic sum of the individual potentials created by each point
charge that is present.
 To the right of the negative charge, there is another location at
which the individual potentials exactly offset one another.
 All places on this section of the line are closer to the negative
than to the positive charge.
 In this region, therefore, a location exists at which the
potential of the smaller negative charge again exactly offsets
that of the more distant and larger positive charge.
𝑞
𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑃𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑉 = 𝑘
𝑟
𝑞1 𝑞2
𝑃𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑃𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝐸𝑃𝐸 = 𝑘
𝑟12
EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES AND THEIR RELATION TO THE ELECTRIC FIELD
 Equipotential Surface – is a surface on which the electric
field is the same everywhere
 the potential at a distance r from a point charge q is V=kq/r

 thus, wherever r is the same, the potential is the same, and

the equipotential surfaces are spherical surfaces centered
on the charge
 there are an infinite number of such surfaces, one for every
value of r
“The larger the distance r,
the smaller is the potential
of the equipotential surface.”
“The net electric force does no
work as a charge moves on an
equipotential surface”
EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES AND THEIR RELATION TO THE ELECTRIC FIELD
 This important characteristic arises because when an
electric force does work WAB as a charge moves from A to B,
the potential changes according to VB – VA = - WAB/q0
 Since the potential remains the same on an equipotential
surface, VA = VB, and we see that WAB = 0 J
 In the figure in the previous slide, for instance, the electric
force does no work as a test charge moves along the
circular arc ABC, which lies on an equipotential surface.
 In contrast, the electric force does work when a charge
moves between equipotential surfaces, as from A to D in the
picture.
EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES AND THEIR RELATION TO THE ELECTRIC FIELD
 The electric field lines give the direction of the electric field,
and for a positive point charge, the electric field is directed
radially outward.
 Therefore, at each location on an equipotential sphere the
electric field is perpendicular to the surface and points
outward in the direction of decreasing potential.
 This perpendicular relation is valid whether or not the
equipotential surfaces result from a positive charge or have
a spherical shape.
 the electric field created by any charge or group of
charges is everywhere perpendicular to the associated
equipotential surfaces and points in the direction of
decreasing potential
EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES AND THEIR RELATION TO THE ELECTRIC FIELD
 Why an equipotential surface  The work would cause the
must be perpendicular to the potential to change, and thus,
the surface could not be an
electric field?
equipotential surface
 If 𝑬 were not perpendicular to
 The only way out of the dilemma
the equipotential surface, there is for the electric field to be
would be a component of perpendicular to the surface, so
𝑬 parallel to the surface. there is no component of the
 This field component would field parallel to the surface.
exert an electric force on a test
charge placed on the surface
 As the charge moved along the
surface, work would be done by
this component of the electric
force.
EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES AND THEIR RELATION TO THE ELECTRIC FIELD
 There is a quantitative relation between the electric field and the
equipotential surfaces.
 To be perpendicular to the electric field, the equipotential surfaces
must be planes that are parallel to the capacitor plates, which
themselves are equipotential surfaces.
 The potential difference between the plates is given by ΔV=VB – VA =
-WAB/q0, where A is a point on the positive plate and B is a point on
the negative plate.
 The work done by the electric force as a positive test charge q0
moves from A to B is WAB = FΔs , where F refers to the electric force
and Δs to the displacement along a line perpendicular to the plates.
 The force equals the product of the charge and the electric field
E(F=q0E), so the work becomes WAB = FΔs = q0EΔs.
 Therefore, the potential difference between the capacitor plates can
be written in terms of the electric field as
𝑾𝑨𝑩 𝒒𝟎 𝑬∆𝒔 ∆𝑽
∆𝑽 = − =− 𝐨𝐫 𝑬 = −
𝒒𝟎 𝒒𝟎 ∆𝒔
EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES AND THEIR RELATION TO THE ELECTRIC FIELD
∆𝑉
 The quantity is referred to as the potential gradient and
∆𝑠
has units of volts per meter.
∆𝑉
 In general, the relation 𝐸 = − gives only the component
∆𝑠
of the electric field along the displacement ; it does not give
the perpendicular component.
Example 8:
The plates of the capacitor in
the figure at the left are separated by
a distance of 0.032 m, and the
potential difference between them is
∆𝑉 = 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐴 = −64 𝑉 . Between the
two labelled equipotential surfaces
there is a potential difference of −3.0
V. Find the spacing between the two
labelled surfaces.
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
 Capacitor
- consists of two conductors of any shape placed near one
another without touching
- stores electric charge

- each capacitor plate carries a charge of the same

magnitude, one positive and the other negative --- because
of the charges, the electric potential of the positive plate
exceeds that of the negative plate by an amount V
- when the magnitude q of the charge on each plate is
doubled, the magnitude V of the electric potential
difference is also doubled; q is proportional to V
𝑞∝𝑉
𝑞 = 𝐶𝑉
where C is the capacitance with SI unit: C/V = farad (F)
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
 farad – named after the English scientist Michael Faraday
 Usual amount of capacitance used in electric circuits:
−6
- 1𝜇𝐹 = 10 𝐹 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑

- 1𝑝𝐹 = 10
−12 𝐹 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑜𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑

 the capacitance reflects the ability of the capacitor to store

charge in the sense that a larger capacitance C allows more
charge q to be put onto the plates for a given value of the
potential difference V
 by definition, capacitance is always a positive quantity

 Dielectric
- an electrically insulating material that fills up the
region between the conductors or plates
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
 If a dielectric is inserted between the plates of a capacitor,
the capacitance can increase markedly because of the way
in which the dielectric alters the electric field between the
plates.
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
 Because of the surface charges on the dielectric, not all the
electric field lines generated by the charges on the plates
pass through the dielectric.
 some of the field lines end on the negative surface charges
and begin again on the positive surface charges
 Thus, the electric field inside the dielectric is less strong
than the electric field inside the empty capacitor, assuming
the charge on the plates remains constant.
 This reduction in the electric field is described by the
dielectric constant 𝜿 , which is the ratio of the field
magnitude E0 without the dielectric to the field magnitude
E inside the dielectric:
𝑬𝟎
𝜿= ; (𝛋 > 𝟏)
𝑬
 value of depends on the nature of the dielectric material
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
Dielectric Constants of Some Common Substances
Substance Dielectric Constant
Vacuum 1
Air 1.00054
Teflon 2.1
Benzene 2.28
Paper (royal gray) 3.3
Ruby Mica 5.4
Neoprene Rubber 6.7
Methyl Alcohol 33.6
Water 80.4
Near Room Temperature
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
 Capacitance of a Parallel Plate Capacitor:
 The capacitance of a capacitor is affected by the geometry of the
plates and the dielectric constant of the material between them.
 The magnitude of the electric field inside the dielectric (parallel
∆𝑉 𝑉 −𝑉 𝑉 −𝑉 𝑽
plate capacitor) is 𝑬 = − = − 𝐵 𝐴 = 𝐴 𝐵 =
∆𝑠 𝑠𝐵 −𝑠𝐴 𝑠𝐵 −𝑠𝐴 𝒅
 If the charge on each plate is kept fixed, the electric field inside
the dielectric is related to the electric field in the absence of the
dielectric
𝐸0 𝑉
𝐸= =
𝜅 𝑑
𝑞
 Since the electric field within an empty capacitor is 𝐸0 = ,
𝜖0 𝐴
𝑞 𝑉
it follows that = , which can be solved for q to give
𝜅𝜖0 𝐴 𝑑
𝜅𝜖0 𝐴
𝑞= 𝑉
𝑑
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
 Comparing with q=CV, then
𝜿𝝐𝟎 𝑨
𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑙 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑪 =
𝒅
 With C0 representing the capacitance of the empty capacitor
(𝜅 = 1), so the above equation shows that 𝐶 = 𝜅𝐶0
 In other words, the capacitance with the dielectric present is
increased by a factor of 𝜅 over the capacitance without the
dielectric.
 𝐶 = 𝜅𝐶0 (applies to any capacitor, not just to a parallel plate
capacitor)
 One reason, then, that capacitors are filled with dielectric
materials is to increase the capacitance
 Capacitance of an isolated charge sphere:
𝑞 𝑞 𝑅
𝐶= = = = 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑅
𝑉 𝑘𝑞 𝑘
𝑅
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
 Example 9:
The capacitance of an empty capacitor is 1.2𝜇𝐹 . The
capacitor is connected to a 12-V battery and charged up.
With the capacitor connected to the battery, a slab of
dielectric material is inserted between the plates. As a result,
2.6 𝑥 10−5 𝐶 of additional charge flows from one plate,
through the battery, and onto the other plate. What is the
dielectric constant of the material?

 Example 10:
An empty capacitor is connected to a battery and
charged up. The capacitor is then disconnected from the
battery, and a slab of dielectric material is inserted between
the plates. Does the voltage across the plates increase,
remain the same, or decrease?
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
 Energy Storage in a Capacitor:
- When a capacitor stores charge, it also stores energy.
- In charging up a capacitor, for example, a battery does work in
transferring an increment of charge from one plate of the capacitor
to the other plate.
- The work done is equal to the product of the charge increment and
the potential difference between the plates.
- However, as each increment of charge is moved, the potential
difference increases slightly, and a larger amount of work is needed
to move the next increment.
- The total work W done in completely charging the capacitor is the
product of the total charge q transferred and the average potential
difference 𝑉; 𝑊 = 𝑞𝑉
- Since the average potential difference is one-half the final potential
1 1
V, or 𝑉 = 𝑉, the total work done by the battery is 𝑊 = 𝑞𝑉
2 2
CAPACITORS AND DIELECTRICS
 This work does not disappear but is stored as electric potential energy
1
in the capacitor, so that 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 𝑞𝑉
2
1
 Summary: 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 𝑞𝑉
2
1 1 2
𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 𝐶𝑉 𝑉 = 𝐶𝑉
2 2
1 𝑞 𝑞2
𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 𝑞 =
2 𝐶 2𝐶
 It is also possible to regard the energy as being stored in the electric
field between the plates
1 2 1 𝜅𝜖0 𝐴
𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 𝐶𝑉 = 𝐸𝑑 2
2 2 𝑑
 Since the area A times the separation d is the volume between the
plates, the energy per unit volume or energy density is
𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 1
𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = = 𝜅𝜖0 𝐸 2
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 2

this expression is valid for any electric field strength, not just that
between the plates of a capacitor.