Electric Potential 24-1 cvectRic POTENTIAL Leaming Objectives ‘Alter resclng tis mecue, you shoul be able to 24.01 Identity thatthe electric force is conservative and thus has an associated potential energy. 24.02 Identity that at every point in a charged object's ‘electri field, the abject sets up an electric potential V, \ihich isa scalar quantity that can be postive or nega tive depending on the sign ofthe object's charge. 24,03 For a charged parce placed at point in an ‘object's electric fied, apply the relationship between the object's electric potential V at that point, the particle's charge g, and the potential energy U of the Partcle-object system, 24.04 Convert energies between unis of joules and ‘lectron-volts. 24.5 If a charged particle moves from an initial point to a final point in an electric field, apply the relationships Key Ideas {The electric potential V ata point Pin the electric field of a charged object is v a whore Wis the work that would be done by the electic force on a positive test charge qp were it brougt from an Infinite distance to P, and Us the electric potential tenergy that would then be stored inthe test charge object system. ‘H'2 particle witn charge q is placed ata point where the electric potential ofa charged object is V, the electric potential energy Uof the partcle-object system is. u=w. «I the particle moves through a potential ditference AV, the change in the slectre potential energy is between the change AV in the potential, the particle's charge 9, the change AU'in the potential energy, anc the work W done by the electric force, 24.08 Ifa charged partic'e moves between two given points in the electric eld of a cnarged object, identity that the amount of work done by the electric force ts path independent 24.07 a charged partic'e moves through a change AV. in elecrc potental without an applied force acting oni relate AV and the change AX in the particle's kinetic energy. 24.08 I a charged particle moves through a change AV in elecric potential while an applied force acts on ft relate AV, the change AX in te particle's kine energy, and the work Way» done by the applied force AU= 9 AV =4(V;-¥). ‘Ifa parce moves through a change AV in electric. potential without an applied force acting on it, applying the ‘conservation of mechanical energy gives the change in kinetic energy a8 a av. ‘If, instead, an applied force acts on the particle, doing Work Wg the change in Kinetic energy s aK =-gaV+W, ‘eIn the special case when AK = 0, the work of an applied force involves only the motion ofthe particle through a potential ditteence: Wogp = 4 AV. What Is Physics? (One goal of physics isto identity basi forces in our world, such as the el force we discussed in Chapter 21. A related goal sto determine whether a force isconservative—thatis, whether a potential energy ea be associated with it The ‘motivation for associating a potential energy with a force is that we can then eas686 CHAPTER 24 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL * 4 gure 24-1 Parle 1 located at point P fn the elects field of partle 2 som sheet ‘The od sets up an lectric potenti, Which determines the potential energy. ec potea o gure 24-2 (0) A tot charge has boon ‘brought ia tom iaity to posse Pan the lec l of the oh (8) We define an ‘lectic potential Vat Phased on the potential energy ofthe configuration in (3). apply the principle ofthe conservation of mechanical energy to closed systems involving the force This eatremely powerful principe allows ts oealeuate the rests of experiments for which ore ealeulatons alone would be very ifcul Experimentally, physicists and eapincers discovered that the clete free is conservative and hs hasan astocited elect potential energy. Ta this chapter ‘we fist define this type of potential energy and hen patito use. For a quick tat, l's tun to the station we considered in Chapter 2: In Figure 2-1, particle 1 with postive charge qs located a point P nea pa ticle 2 wih positive charge q In Chapter 22 we explained how patil sable to push on partici | without any contact. To acepunt forthe free F (which s 4 vector quantiy), we defined an clectiefeld (also a vector quantity) that jest up at P by particle 2 That flld exist regardless of whether pate is AXP. Itwe choose to plage particle 1 there, the push on tis duet charge and ihat pre-eisting nel E Tete isa related problem. Ifwe release particle tat Pt begins to move and thus has kinetic energy. Energy cannot pear by magi, som where docs t come? It comes fom the electric potential energy U aswodated withthe force between the two particles in the arangement of Fig. 1. To sccount for the potential encrgy U (which isa scalar quantity), we define an electric potential V {Gisoascalar quantity) that issctup at Pby parile2. The cletrie potential exists regardless of whether particle Isat PItwe choo o place particle here, the potential energy of he two-particle system isthen dct charge gy and that sing elect potential V. ‘Our goals inthis chaptr are to (1) define electric potenti, (2) discuss how to calculate it for various atangements of charged particles and objects, and {@) dacuss how electric potential Ve relate to lect potential energy 0 Electric Potential and Electric Potential Energy ‘We are going to define the eleetic potential (or potential for short) in terms of electric potential energy, s0 our frst job isto figure out how to measure that potential energy. Back in Chapter 8, we measured gravitational potetial energy U of an object by (1) assigning U = 0 fora reference configuration (uch a the ‘object at table level) and (2) then calculating the work W the gravitational force {does if the object is moved up or down from that level. We then defined the potential energy as being u LW’ (pote ner eu L's follow the same procedure with our new conservative force, the electric force. In Fig. 4-24, we want (ond the potential energy U associated witha posi- tive test charge 4g located st point Pin the electre field ofa charged rod. First, wwe need a elerence configuration for which U'=0, A reasonable etoice is fr the test charge 1o be infinitely far from the rod, because then there is no interaction with the rod. Next, we bring the test charge in from infinity to point P to form the configuration of Fig. 24-22, Along the way, we calculate the work done by the electric force onthe test charge. The potential energy ofthe final configuration is then given by Eq.24-1, where Wis now the work done by the electric free. Le's use the notation W., 6 emphasize that the test charge is brought in from infinity. “The work and thus the potential energy can be positive or negative depending on the sign of the rod's charge Next, we define the electric potential V at Pin terms ofthe work done bythe clecri orce and the resulting potential energy We U Yas penn) 242) es eh (24-2) rn‘That is the electri potential i the amount of electric potential energy per unit charge when postive test charge is brought in fom infinity. The rod sets up this potential Vat P regardless of whether the test charge (or anything else) happens tobe there (Fig, 24-2b). From Eg, 24-2 we see that Visa scalar quantity (because there is no direction associated with potential energy or charge) and can be pos tive or negative (hecause potential energy and charge have signs). Repeating this procedure we find that an electric potential is set up al every point in the rod's electric field. Infact, every charged object sets up electric potential Vat points taroughout is eletric field. I we happen to place a particle bvith, say, charge ata point where we know the pre-existing V, we can immedi- ately find the potential energy of the configuration: cleste potential energy {electric potential energy) = (particle's charg) ses prea nes) or (243) where q can be positive or negative Two Cautions. (1) The (now very old) decision to call V a potential was unfortunate because the term is easily confused with potential energy. Yes, the {so quantities are related (that isthe point here) but they aze very diferent and not interchangeable. (2) Flectre potential isa scalar, not a vector, (When you come to the homework problems, you wll rejoice on ths point.) Language. potential energy is a property of a system (or configuration) of objects, Dut sometimes we can get away mith assigning it to a single object. For example, the gravitational potential energy of a baseball hit to outfield is actually a potential energy of the baschall-Earth system (Because i i associ- sted withthe force between the baseball and Barth), However, because only the baseball noticeably moves (its motion doesnot noticeably affect Earth), we might ‘assign the gravitational potential energy toi alone. Ina similar way ia chasged particle is placed inan electric field and has no noticeable effect om the field (or {he charged object that ses up the field), we usualy assign the electrie potential cenergy tothe particle alone, Units. The Sl unit for potential that follows from Eg, 24-2 is the joule per coulomb. This combination occurs so often that a special unit, the volt (abbrevi- ated V), is used to represent it. Thus, 1 volt = 1 joule per coulomb, ‘With two unit conversions, we cen now stitch the unit for electric feld from rnewtons per coulomb tox more conventional unt: we (+6) (tie) (ara) Vin, ‘The conversion factor in the second set of parentheses comes from our definition cof volt given above; that inthe third set of parentheses is derived from the defi ‘ion ofthe joule, From now on, we shall express values ofthe electric field in volts per meter rather than in newtons per coulomb, Motion Through an Electric Field Change in Elecric Potential, Uwe move fsom an ital pont ito second point in the electric field of a charged object, the electric potential changes by -V 24:1 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL 687oss CHAPTER 24 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL If we move a particle with charge q from ito then, {rom Eq. 243, the potential energy of the system changes by AU=qAV=4V,-V). 044) ‘The change can be positive or negative, depending on the signs of g and AV. It can also be zero, if there is no change in potential om tof (the points have the same value of potential). Because the electric force is conservative, the change in potential energy AU’ between i and fis the same forall paths between those points (itis path independent). Work by the Field We can relate the potential energy change AU to the work W done by the electric foree as the particle moves from i to fby applying the general relation for a conservative force (Eq, $1) WAU (wort comeratve fre. 245) ‘Neat, we can relate that work to the change ia the potential by substituting from Bg. 24 W=-aU =-9 AV=-u(¥;-V). 246) Up until now, we have always attributed work toa force but here can also say that Wis the work done on the particle by the electric field (because it ofcourse produces the force). The work can be positive, negative, or zero. Because AU ‘between any two points is path independent, soi the work W done by the field. (if you need to calculate work fora difficult path, switeh to an easier path—you get the same result) Conservation of Energy. If s charged particle moves through an electric {Geld with no foree acting on it other than the electric foree dus to the Bld, then the mechanical energy is conserved, Let's assume that we can assign the electric potential energy to the particle alone. Then we can write the conservation of ‘mechanical energy of the particle that moves from point to point fas Us Ka U+K, ean or aK =U. 048) ‘Substituting Fa. 244, we find a very useful equation fr the change in the particle's kinetic energy asa result ofthe particle moving through a potential diference AK =-g AV=-a(V; -¥). 249) Work by an Applied Force. If some force in adition to the eectie force acts on the particle, me say thatthe additional force isan applied force or external force, whieh soften attsibuted to an external agent, Such an applied force can do ‘work on the particle, but the force may not be conservative and thus, in general, we cannot associate & potential energy with it, We account for that Work Wizy by rodifying Eg, 24-7 (initial energy) + (work by applied force) = (final energy) or Ut K+ Wap = Ut Ky 4.10) Rearranging and substituting from Eq. 24-4, we ean also write this as MK = BU Way 9 AV + Wop ea “The work by the applied force can be positive, negative, or zero, and thus the energy of the system ean inerease, derease, or remain the same. Inthe special case where the particle is stationary before and after the move, ‘the kinetic energy terms in Eqs, 24-10 and 24-11 are zero and we have Wap =Q AV (Gr Ky, e412) In this special case, the work Wig involves the motion of the particle through the potential difference AV and not a change in the particle's kinetic energy