LESSON 4

BOOK CHAPTER 24

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
 Electric Potential

The potential energy (U) per unit charge(q) at a

point in an electric field (𝐸) is called the electric
U potential V.
i 𝑈
+q 𝑉= ………….. (i)
𝑞
+q The electric potential difference between any two
points i and f in an electric field is equal to the
difference in potential energy per unit charge
f between the two points:
𝐸 𝐸 𝐸 𝐸 𝐸
Uf Ui ∆U
∆V = Vf − Vi = − = ……… (ii)
q q q

we can define the potential difference between points i and f as

−𝑊
∆V = Vf − Vi = ……….. (iii)
q
 Equipotential Surfaces:
Adjacent points that have the same electric potential form an equipotential
surface, which can be either an imaginary surface or a real, physical surface. No
net work W is done on a charged particle by an electric field when the particle
moves between two points A and B on the same equipotential surface.

Equipotential surface
 Calculating the Potential from the Field
We know that the differential work dW done on a
particle by a force 𝐹Ԧ during a displacement d𝑠Ԧ is
given by the dot product of the force and the
displacement:
Ԧ 𝑑 𝑠Ԧ = 𝑞𝐸. 𝑑 𝑠Ԧ … … … (1)
𝑑𝑊 = 𝐹.

The total work W done on the particle by the

field as the particle moves from point i to point f,
𝑓 𝑓
𝑊 = ‫𝐸 𝑖׬ 𝑞 = 𝑊𝑑 𝑖׬‬. 𝑑 𝑠Ԧ … … … (2)

The work done by the electrostatic force in terms of potential difference:

−𝑊
∆V = Vf − Vi = ……………(3)
q
𝑓
−q ‫𝐸 𝑖׬‬.𝑑 𝑠Ԧ 𝑓 𝑓
Vf − Vi = = − ‫𝐸 𝑖׬‬. 𝑑𝑠Ԧ [Using 𝑊 = ‫𝐸 𝑖׬‬. 𝑑𝑠Ԧ ]
q
𝒇
Finally, 𝑽𝒇 − 𝑽𝒊 = − ‫𝑬 𝒊׬‬. 𝒅𝒔 …………… (iv)
 Potential Due to a Point Charge:
We have V − V = − 𝑓 𝐸. 𝑑𝑠Ԧ …………… (iv)
f i ‫𝑖׬‬
𝑓
Vf − Vi = − ‫𝐸 𝑖׬‬. 𝑑𝑟Ԧ [here d𝑠Ԧ =d𝑟]
Ԧ
𝑓
Vf − Vi = − ‫𝑠𝑜𝑐 𝐸 𝑖׬‬00 𝑑𝑟
𝑓
Vf − Vi = − ‫𝑟𝑑𝐸 𝑖׬‬
𝑞 𝑓 1
Vf − Vi = − 4𝜋𝜖 ‫𝑖׬‬ 𝑑𝑟
0 𝑟2

𝑟=𝑟𝑓
𝑞 1
Vf − Vi = − −
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟 𝑟=𝑟𝑖

𝑞 1 1
𝑉𝑓 − 𝑉𝑖 = −
1
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟𝑓 𝑟𝑖
If 𝑟𝑓 goes to infinity (∞), then Vf= 0 and 𝑟 = 0
𝑓

Hence, 𝑞 1
0 − Vi = 0−
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟𝑖 1 𝑞
Finally we get, V=
𝑞 1
V𝑖 = 4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟𝑖
 Potential Due to a Group of Point Charges:

General Formula: 𝒒𝟏 𝒒𝟐
𝑛 𝑛 𝑟1
1 𝑞𝑖 𝑟2
𝑉 = ෍ 𝑉𝑖 = ෍
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟𝑖 𝑟4
𝑟3
𝑖=1 𝑖=1
𝒒𝟑
𝒒𝟒

4
1 𝑞1 𝑞2 𝑞3 𝑞4
For an example: 𝑉 = ෍ 𝑉𝑖 = + + +
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟1 𝑟2 𝑟3 𝑟4
𝑖=1
Problem: 4 (Book chapter 24)
Two large, parallel, conducting plates are 12 cm apart and have charges of
equal magnitude and opposite sign on their facing surfaces. An electric force of
3.9 × 10−15 𝑁 acts on an electron placed anywhere between the two plates.
(Neglect fringing.) (a) Find the electric field at the position of the electron. (b)
What is the potential difference between the plates?

Answer:
Given
d= 12 cm = 0.12 m 𝐹 = 3.9 × 10−15 𝑁
𝑒 − = 𝑞 = 1.6 × 10−19 C 𝐸 =?

(a) We know
𝐹 = 𝑞𝐸

3.9 × 10−15 4
𝑁
𝐸= = 2.437 × 10
1.6 × 10−19 𝐶
(b) The potential difference between the plates

∆𝑉 = 𝐸𝑑 = (2.437 × 104 ) 0.12 = 0.293 × 104 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡

Problem: 6 (Book chapter 24)
When an electron moves from A to B
along an electric field line in the
adjacent figure, the electric field does
3.94 × 10−19 𝐽 of work on it. What are
the electric potential differences
(a) 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐴 , (b) 𝑉𝐶 − 𝑉𝐴 , and (c) 𝑉𝐶 −
𝑉𝐵 ?

Answer:

−𝑊 −3.94 × 10−19
(a) 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐴 = = −19
= 2.45 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡
𝑞 −1.6 × 10

(b) 𝑉𝑐 − 𝑉𝐴 = 2.45 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡 [Because points B and C are

on the same equipotential surface]

(c) 𝑉𝑐 − 𝑉𝐵 = 0 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡
Problem: 16 (Book chapter 24)
Figure shows a rectangular array of charged particles
fixed in place, with distance 𝑎 = 39 𝑐𝑚 and the charges
shown as integer multiples of 𝑞1 = 3.4 𝑝𝐶 and 𝑞2 =
6.0 𝑝𝐶. With 𝑉 = 0 at infinity, what is the net electric
potential at the rectangle’s center? (Hint: Thoughtful
examination of the arrangement can reduce the
calculation.)

Answer: Given 𝑎 = 39 𝑐𝑚 = 0.39 𝑚

𝑞1 = 3.40 𝑝𝐶 = 3.4 × 10−12 𝐶
The net potential at the rectangle center is 𝑞2 = 6.0 𝑝𝐶 = 6.0 × 10−12 𝐶

1 2𝑞1 −3𝑞1 2𝑞1 −𝑞1 1 4𝑞2 4𝑞2

𝑉= + + + + [ + 𝑎 ]
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑟 𝑟 𝑟 𝑟 4𝜋𝜖0 𝑎
2 2
1 4𝑞2 4𝑞2
𝑉 =0+ +
4𝜋𝜖0 0.195 0.195

1 8𝑞2 9 × 109 × 8 × 6 × 10−12

𝑉= =
4𝜋𝜖0 0.195 0.195

𝑉 =2.215 Volt
Problem: 17 (Book chapter 24)
In the adjacent Figure, what is the net
electric potential at point P due to the
four particles if 𝑉 = 0 at infinity, 𝑞 = 5 𝑓𝐶,
and 𝑑 = 4 𝑐𝑚?

Answer:

Given
𝑞 = 5 𝑓𝐶 = 5 × 10−15 𝐶 and 𝑑 = 4 𝑐𝑚 = 0.04 𝑚

The net electric potential at the point P is

1 𝑞 𝑞 −𝑞 −𝑞
𝑉= [ + + + ]
4𝜋𝜖0 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑 2𝑑
9 × 109 × 𝑞 1
𝑉= [1 + 1 − 1 − ]
𝑑 2
9 × 109 × 5 × 10−15
𝑉= = 562.5 × 10−6 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑡
0.04 × 2
 Potential Due to an Electric Dipole:
The net potential at P is given by
2
1 𝑞 −𝑞
𝑉 = ෍ 𝑉𝑖 = 𝑉(+) + 𝑉(−) = [ + ]
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 + 𝑟−
𝑖=1

𝑞 𝑟(−) − 𝑟(+)
𝑉=
4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟(−) 𝑟(+)

For dipoles, usually, r ≫ 𝑑, where d is the distance between the charges.

Under the above condition, from the figure we can write

𝑟(−) − 𝑟 + = 𝑑𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟 − 𝑟 + ≈ 𝑟2

Substituting these values in the above equation, we get

𝑞 𝑑 cos 𝜃
𝑉 = 4𝜋𝜀 where, θ is measured from the dipole axis as
0 𝑟2
shown in the figure.
𝟏 𝒑 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽
𝑽 = 𝟒𝝅𝜺 where, 𝑝 = 𝑞𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑜𝑓
𝟎 𝒓𝟐
electric dipole moment 𝑝.
The vector 𝑝Ԧ is directed along the dipole axis, from the
negative to the positive charge.
Calculating the Electric Field from the Electric Potential:
Suppose that a positive test charge 𝑞0
moves through a displacement d𝑠Ԧ from
one equipotential surface to the adjacent
surface.
The differential work done in terms of electric
potential difference dV is
𝑑𝑊 = −𝑞0 dV
The differential work done by the electric
Field 𝐸 is
𝑑𝑊 = 𝐹. Ԧ 𝑑𝑠Ԧ = 𝑞0 𝐸. 𝑑𝑠Ԧ = 𝑞0 𝐸 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝑑𝑠
Hence, we get −𝑞0 𝑑𝑉 = 𝑞0 𝐸 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 𝑑𝑠
𝑑𝑉
𝐸 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 = − 𝑑𝑠
𝜕𝑉
𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐸𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐸 in the direction of d𝑠Ԧ , then 𝐸𝑠 = −
𝜕𝑠
If we take the s axis to be, in turn, the x, y, and z axes, we find that the x, y, and
z components of 𝐸 at any point are
𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉
𝐸𝑥 = − ; 𝐸𝑦 = − 𝜕𝑦 ; 𝐸𝑧 = −
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑧
THANK YOU