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CHAPTER 23 : ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

Electric Potential Energy (U):

Question: How much work is required to bring these two charges together separated by a distance .

Electric Potential (V):


Electric potential energy per unit charge:

For more than one point charge electric potential due to these charges
=sum of electric potential of each charge (Superposition principle)

Relation Between Electric Potential and Electric Field:

The general relationship between a conservative force and potential energy:

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Potential difference in uniform and Electric field:

Electric field lines always point in the direction of decreasing electric potential !!

Electric Field from Electric Potential:

Electric Potential Due to Any charge distribution

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The potential due to an arbitrary charge distribution can be expressed as a sum or
integral (if the distribution is continuous):

Equipotential Surfaces:

Any surface on which the electric potential is the same everywhere

Equipotential surfaces are always perpendicular to field lines; they are always
closed surfaces (unlike electric field lines, which begin and end on charges).

The net electric force does no work on a charge as it moves on an equipotential surface.

Summary

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Two charges of and are placed at the corners of a square as shown in the
figure. The square has side .
a) Calculate the electric potential at bottom right corner.
b) Find the work that must be done by an external force to bring a third charge
from infinity to the bottom right corner.
c) What is the electrical potential energy of this system of three point charges?
d) Calculate the work required to move a distance along +y axis.
(Express your answer in terms of , , or )

In a certian region of space the electric potential is given by

,where x, y,z are in meters.

a) Determine the electric field vector and its magnitude at the point A (2,1,1)

b) Find the work that must be done by an external force to move a charge q=-8μC between
the points (1,1,1) to (2,2,2).

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Potential due to a ring of charge:

A thin circular ring of radius R has a uniformly distributed charge Q.

a) Determine the electric potential at a point P.

b) Determine the electric field at a point P.

Potential due to a charged disk:

A thin flat disk, of radius R, has a uniformly distributed surface charge density σ.

a) Determine the electric potential at a point P on the axis of the disk.

b) Determine the electric field at a point P on the axis of the disk.

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Positive electric charge Q is distributed uniformly along a thin rod of length 2L.

a) Find the electric potential at the point P.

b) Find the electric field at the point P.

Two point charges are located on the x-axis, Q1=8.0μC at x=-0.2m ans Q2=-8.0μC at x=0.2m .

a) Find the electric potential at the point A, where x=-0.6m.

b) Find the work that must be done by an external force to bring a third point charge Q 3=
5.0μC from infinity to the point A.
c) What is the electrical potential energy of this system of three point charges when Q 3 is at
the point A?
d) Find the work that must be done by an external force to bring a third point charge Q 3 from
the point A to the point B at x=0.6m, along the semicircular path shown in the figure below.

A thin rod of length carries a uniform charge density along its length.

a) Determine the electric potential at point P.

b) Find the work that must be done by an external force to bring a point charge from
infinity to the point P. ( )

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