W2 GAUSS’S LAW AND ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

Gauss’s Law
The total of the electric flux out of a closed surface is equal to the charge enclosed divided by the
permittivity. It states that the net outward normal electric flux through any closed surface is
proportional to the total electric charge enclosed within that closed surface.

Electric potential energy (U)

- describes how much stored energy a charge has, when moved by an electrostatic force.
Just like mass in a gravitational field has gravitational potential energy, the charges in an
electric field have electric potential energy. A difference in electric potential energy from
one point to another is often called voltage.
Electric Potential Energy and Work

Electric Potential Energy and Electric Potential

Electric potential energy tells us the energy of all the charges while electric potential tells us the
energy of a single charge. If a system has two different charges, the difference will be called
electric potential difference or Voltage (V).