Lesson 5: Electric Potential

Imagine we have several positively charged objects held close

together. If we release these charged object, they will fly apart since they will
repel each other. This shows that the positive charges, being close together,
possess potential energy. As they accelerate from each other, this potential
energy is converted to kinetic energy and work is done by electric field. Figure
1 illustrates what happens to the positive charges held together and then
released.

Figure 1. A system of charges held together and then released.

If we have two charged bodies A and B, connected by a conducting wire, a

flow of electrons from A to B means that B is at a higher potential than A. Then B is
at a positive potential with respect to A, or A is at a negative potential with respect to
B. This is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. B is at a higher potential than A so electrons flow toward it.

Electric Potential

The electric potential, V, of a charged body is equal to the amount of work

done by an external agent to bring a unit positive charge from a point of zero to the
body. In mathematical form,

The unit of V is J/C or volts (V). Electric potential V is a scalar quantity.

Work may be positive or negative. Negative (-) work means the electric field does the
work while positive (+) work means the external agent does the work. The electric

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potential at a point is the work done by an external agent in bringing a unit positive
charge from a point of zero potential (which is at infinity, ∞) to that point.

Electric Potential Difference

How does charge move? Positive charges move from a place of high
electric potential (or near a positive charge) to a place of low electric potential (or
near a negative charge). Electrons which are negative move the other way from low
electric potential to high electric potential.

In an electric field, the electric potential is usually measured relative to the

potential of earth which is assigned zero potential. Work is done against the electric
field when a positive charge, q+ is moving from a point of a lower potential to a point
of higher potential. The difference in potential between the two is called potential
difference (or voltage) and measured in volts. In moving 1 C of charge between two
points, 1 J of work is done, and the potential difference between the two points is 1
V. So if 2 C of charge is moved between the same points, of work is done. We can
therefore define work done in bringing a charge between two points of different
potential as the product of the charge Q and the potential difference V, or W = Q x V.
If we rearrange tis equation, we get V = W / q. We can therefore define the term
potential difference, ΔV, as the work per unit charge.

Figure 3. Potential difference between points 1 and 2. ΔV = V 2 –V1

1. A 50 µC point charge moves from point A to point B as shown in the diagram

below. The magnitude of the electric field is 2 x 10 6 N/C. point A and B are 80
cm and 20 cm above the negatively charged plate respectively. (a) Calculate
the electric potential energy at points A and B. (b) How much work is done to

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 move the charge from point A to point B? (c) What is the electric potential at
points A and B?

2. A 70 µC charge is located at a point where the electric potential is 300 V. (a)

What is the electric potential energy of this charge particle? (b) What is the
electric potential energy of a -60 µC charge located at on electric potential of
500 V?

3. A 100 V battery is connected to two oppositely charged parallel plates that are
separately by a distance of 10 mm. (a) Calculate the electric field. (b) What is
the electric potential at a point 7 mm above the negatively charged plate?
(Assume the negatively charged plate is assigned on electric potential of 0 V).
(c) What is the electric potential energy of a -400 µC charge placed 7 mm
above the negatively charged plate?