Introductory Physics II

Chapter 23 – part 2
Potential energy and potential

Lecture 6 – January 26
 Outline of chapter 23

• Work and Potential Energy - review

• Potential energy of the electric field
• Potential energy for the field of a point charge
• Potential energy for the uniform electric field
• Electric Potential
• Electric Potential of a point charge
• Relationship between electric field and electric potential
• Equipotential surfaces
• Potential energy of a system of charges
• Examples
 Potential Energy
the story so far
Δ𝑈12 = 𝑈2 − 𝑈1 = −W1→2 Potential energy difference

This (above) is the general definition of potential energy. It works for any
type of conservative force or field.

𝑄𝑞 Potential energy
𝑈(𝑟) = 𝑘 1. for point (or spherical) charges (field goes like 1/r2)
𝑟
2. the reference is chosen at r->∞

• Charges have the same sign (repulsion): PE is positive

i f PE is negative
• Charges have opposite signs (attraction):
 Electrostatic Potential Energy
uniform field
• Uniform field – the value and direction of the electric field is the same at all
points in space
• Can be created between two parallel plates with dimensions much larger than
the separation (parallel plate capacitor) y

F=qE – constant – no need for integral

+
𝑊𝑥1−𝑥2 = 𝑞𝐸𝑑 = 𝑞𝐸(𝑥1 − 𝑥2 ) 𝐹Ԧ

𝑈2 − 𝑈1 = −𝑞𝐸 𝑥1 − 𝑥2 = 𝑞𝐸𝑥2 − 𝑞𝐸𝑥1

d x
In this case the zero of the potential energy is on x2 x1
the negative plate.

𝑈 𝑥 = 𝑞𝐸𝑥
𝑊 = −Δ𝑈 = − 𝑈2 − 𝑈1

𝑊 = 𝑈1 − 𝑈2

𝑄𝑞 𝑑Ԧ
Point charges 𝑈(𝑟) = 𝑘
𝑟
𝑞1 𝑞2 𝐹Ԧ
𝑈2 = 𝑈(𝑟2 ) = 𝑘
𝑟2
𝑞1 𝑞2
𝑈1 = 𝑈(𝑟1 ) = 𝑘
𝑟1 𝑟1 = 0.15𝑚
1 1 𝑟2 = 0.25 2 ≈ 0.35𝑚
𝑊 = 𝑘𝑞1 𝑞2 − =
𝑟1 𝑟2
1 1
=9× 109 ⋅ 2.4 4.3 × 10−12 − ≈ 0.35J
0.15 0.35
 Electric Potential

Simply put: Potential is potential energy per unit charge.

Potential= (Potential energy) / charge

Δ𝑈
Δ𝑉 = Definition
𝑞

As for potential energy, only the potential difference is meaningful.

𝑈𝑏 − 𝑈𝑎 𝑊𝑎→𝑏 𝑊𝑎→𝑏 = 𝑞 𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏
Δ𝑉𝑎𝑏 = 𝑉𝑏 − 𝑉𝑎 = =−
𝑞 𝑞
Pay attention to the right order of the indices!

Δ𝑈 = 𝑞Δ𝑉 U is energy and V is potential

 Electric Potential
sign discussion
The work of the electric field is
• Positive - if the electric force is in the same direction as the displacement. No
external force is required to displace the charge.
• Negative - if the electric force is opposite to the displacement. An external force
is required to displace the charge against the electric force.

𝑊𝑎→𝑏 = 𝑞 𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏

Positive charge (q positive) – the work is positive if Va>Vb

Positive charges move from higher potential to lower potential (“downhill”)
Negative charge (q negative) – the work is positive if Va<Vb
Negative charges move from lover potential to higher potential (“uphill”)
 Electric Potential
comparison with electric field

Electric Potential Electric field

Scalar Vector
It has sign It has direction
Work per unit charge Force per unit charge
Equipotential surfaces Field lines

Superposition works for potential too. For electric field you need to add vectors.
For potential you just have to add numbers with signs. Easier, isn’t it?
 Electric Potential
units

The unit of potential: 1 J/C = 1 V = 1 volt.

Named after Alessandro Volta.

1 V = 1J/C= 1 (Nm)/C.

Therefore 1 N/C = 1 V/m

which we can also use as the unit for electric field.
 Electron Volt

Electron volt – unit of energy used in particle physics.

The energy gained by an electron going through a

potential difference of 1V.

Δ𝑈 = 𝑞Δ𝑉 = 1.6 × 10−19 𝐶 ⋅ 1𝑉 = 1.6 × 10−19 J

Accelerators give electrons and protons energies of MeV, GeV, or

TeV. (106, 109 and 1012 respectively)

A proton with 1 MeV energy has 1.60  10–13 J and a speed of

1.38  107 m/s.
(Speed of light is 3  108 m/s)
 Electric Potential
point charge
𝑄𝑞
𝑈(𝑟) = 𝑘 Potential energy of two point charges
𝑟

𝑈 𝑟 𝑄
V 𝑟 = =𝑘 Potential at point r in the field of charge Q
𝑞 𝑟

• Potential energy is related to the interaction of two (or more) charges. The
formula contains two charges,
• Potential is a property of individual charges. The formula contains only one
charge.
• When we have a system of charges, the potential at one point is the sum of
individual contributions (superposition again).

∞
F is always the electrostatic force
𝑈(𝑟) = න 𝐹Ԧ ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ
𝑟 (even when the displacement is against the electrostatic force)1
Examples of problems solving
Potential

What is the potential

in the center of the
square???

Zero!
 Electric Potential
general relationship between E and V
∞
𝑈(𝑟) = න 𝐹Ԧ ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ F is always the electrostatic force
𝑟 (even when the displacement is against the electrostatic force)1

𝐹Ԧ = 𝑞𝐸
∞ ∞
𝑈 𝑟 = න 𝑞𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ = 𝑞 න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ
𝑟 𝑟

∞
V 𝑟 = ‫𝑙 𝑑 ⋅ 𝐸 𝑟׬‬Ԧ Potential at a point

𝑟2
ΔV = න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ = 𝑉1 − 𝑉2 Potential difference
𝑟1

Pay attention to the right order of the indices!

 Equipotential Surfaces
and their relationship with field lines

• Equipotentials are surfaces. The potential has the same value everywhere on the
surface.
• Field lines are lines.
• When V is constant, no work is done on a charge moving from i to f.
• Hence there is no force component along the path.
• Hence E is perpendicular to the equipotential surface (The force is in the
direction E or opposite to E)

Field lines are perpendicular to the equipotential surfaces.

 Equipotential Surfaces

• The equipotentials are close together when E is large.

• The equipotentials are far apart when E is small.
Equipotential Surfaces
more examples
 Equipotential Surfaces
exercise

What is the sign of the work done

on a positive charge, for each
1 path?

3 𝑊𝑎→𝑏 = 𝑞 𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏
1

2
ΔV1 < 0 V W1 < 0
ΔV2 = 0 V W2 = 0
ΔV3 > 0V W3 > 0
 Equipotential Surfaces
conductors

• The surface of a conductor must be an equipotential

surface when charges are at rest.

• All points inside a conductor and inside a cavity in a

conductor are at the same potential which is the potential at
the surface. (Conductors Conduct Charge)
 Electric Potential
general relationship between E and V
∞
V 𝑟 = ‫𝑙𝑑 ⋅ 𝐸 𝑟׬‬

Electric Potential
Electric field (scalar)
(vector)
V
𝐸

?
 Electric Potential
finding 𝑬(𝒓) when we know V(𝒓)

The electric field is a vector so it has 3 components: Ex, Ey, Ez

The potential is a function of 3 variables: x,y,z

𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉
𝐸𝑥 = − 𝐸𝑦 = − 𝐸𝑧 = −
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

Partial derivatives – keep all the other variables fixed with the exception of one
Not necessarily a realistic
Example: V 𝑟Ԧ = 𝑉 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑥 2 − 2𝑏𝑥𝑦 + 𝑐𝑧𝑥 electric potential; just used as
example of the math involved.
(a,b,c are all constants)

𝐸𝑥 = −2ax+2by-cz 𝐸𝑦 = 2𝑏𝑥 𝐸𝑧 = −𝑐𝑥

 Electric Potential
finding 𝑬(𝒓) when we know V(𝒓)
𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉
𝐸𝑥 = − 𝐸𝑦 = − 𝐸𝑧 = −
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉
𝐸=− 𝑥ො + 𝑦ො + 𝑧Ƹ
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
• The vector with components equal to the partial derivatives of a function is called
the gradient of the function.
• Then the electric field is equal to the gradient of the potential (with a minus sign).

𝐸 = −𝛻𝑉

𝛻 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 "del" or "nabla" and it means "gradient of"

 Electric Potential
general relationship between E and V
∞
V 𝑟 = ‫𝑙𝑑 ⋅ 𝐸 𝑟׬‬

Electric Potential
Electric field (scalar)
(vector)
V
𝐸

𝐸 = ?−𝛻𝑉