ELECTRICALPOTENTIALENERGY Uelec

verysimilarto gravitational potential energy

a positive testcharge willhavemoreUelec at location B than at location A
sourcecharge
A B
o

if thesource charge were positive a positive testcharge willhavemoreUelec at location A

than at locationB
sourcecharge
A B

Melee between 2 charges separated by a distance r

Uelec 1 units Joules J
r

Uelec is a
scalar onlymagnitude
we doriotuse the absolutevalues q and92
moving charges in an electric field

i moving apositive chargealongtheelectricfieldlines downstream

decreases its electricpotentialenergy Uelec
Z 2moving apositivechargeagainstthe electricfieldlines upstream
s
increases its electricpotentialenergy Uelec

i moving anegative chargealongtheelectricfieldlines downstream

increases its electricpotentialenergy Uelec
Z 2moving a negativechargeagainstthe electricfieldlines upstream
s
decreases its electricpotentialenergy Uelec

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
the Uelecper unit charge

Uffe definition of electricpotential units volts V

V KI theelectricpotential at a distance r from a charge q

potentialdifference SV when a chargemovesfrom one potential A to anotherpotential13
there is a change in the potential sv sometimes referred to as voltage
A B
og SV VBVa DUq

is also a scalar
potential
in a uniform electric fieldonly SV IEld
 an electric field that are at equal potentials
equipotential lines thelocation of points in
equipotential lines are always perpendicular to electric fieldlines
ed uniform electric field
Electricfieldlines
c e
C Points A and B are at different potentials and
C C therefore are on different equipotential lines They are
7 47 on thesame electricfield line
A s s pointsAandC are on the samepotential lineandtherefore
W B
are on the sameequipotential lineTheyare on different
equipotentiallines electric fieldlines
ex Electricfieldof a pointcharge

Electric r c a Points A and B are at different potentials and

fieldlines B
therefore are on different equipotential lines They are
s on thesame electric field line
equipotential PointsAandC are on the samepotential lineandtherefore
lines s are on the sameequipotential lineTheyare on different
Av electric fieldlines

finding sueiecand SV
Sheree 91EIdc
IEldcoso Of
theseequation canbemisleading
sv
charge q travelsfrom pt A to pt B
B d distancebetween pt A andptA e
d O angle between d andE ad
g A10 g O
E
E
note sometimes the 0 labeled is not the same as the 0 in above equations
ex
B Ois not thes anglebetween dandE
O

µ
d a
9 O lO
Boot
E
Now 9 is the anglebetween dand E
NA v v w
r SUeiee g.IE dcos9
E
make sure to use the correctangle