Electric Potential

Electric Potential and
Electric Potential Energy
9-1
We want to be able to:
Recall what potential energy is
Relate potential energy (and work) with electricity
Solve problems regarding potential differences,
Uniform electric fields, and
Electric potential due to point charges
9-2
(Recall) Potential Energy
Potential energy is denoted by U (PE) which has a unit of

J(Joules).
The (negative) change in potential energy is equal to the

work done by conservative forces.
9-3
Energy Considerations
 When a force, F, acts on a particle, work is done on the
particle in moving from point a to point b
b  
Wa b   F  dl
a
If the force is a conservative, then the work done can be
expressed in terms of a change in potential energy
Wa b   U b  U a    U
Also if the force is conservative, the total energy of the
particle remains constant
KEa  PEa  KEb  PEb
9-4
9-5
Electric potential energy
Ue is the potential energy stored when charges

are out of equilibrium (like gravitational potential
energy).
9-6
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
9-7
Work Done by Uniform Electric Field
Forceon charge
 is
F  q0 E
Work is done on the
charge by field
Wa b  Fd  q0 Ed
The work done is independent of path taken from point

a to point b because
The Electric Force is a conservative force
9-8
POTENTIAL ENERGY IN A CONSTANT FIELD E
The potential energy difference between A and B

equals the negative of the work done by the field
as the charge q is moved from A to B
UAB = UB – UA = - FE d
UAB = q E d when the +q charge is moved against the field

9-9
Electric potential is the same as EPE, but per charge, Ue.
An electric potential difference between two points is
called voltage,
V= Ue2q−Ue1q
9-10
Voltage
Voltage is electric potential energy per unit charge
Measured in joules per coulomb or Volts
𝑼 𝒆
𝑽 =
𝒒
May also be called electric potential
9-11
Potential Difference
is the difference in electric potential (V) between the final

and the initial location
∆ 𝑽 =𝑽𝒃 − 𝑽𝒂
𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 ∆ 𝑼𝒆
∆𝑽 = =
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒒
9-12
9-13
9-14
Equipotential Lines
9-15
Equipotential Lines
Electric field lines are used to represent places with

constant electric potential.
Equipotential lines and electric field are ALWAYS

perpendicular with each other.
No work is required to move a charge along an

equipotential line
9-16
Equipotential
Lines
9-17
9-18
9-19
9-20
Concept Check
1. The quantity electric potential is defined as the amount of

_____.
A. Electric potential energy

B. Force acting upon a charge
C. Potential energy per charge
D. Force per charge
9-21
Concept Check
2. When work is done on a positive test charge by an external

force to move it from one location to another, potential energy
_________ and electric potential _________.
i. Increases
ii. Decreases
iii. Stays the same
9-22
Concept Check
3. If a battery provides a high voltage, it can ____.
a. do a lot of work over the course of its lifetime

b. do a lot of work on each charge it encounters
c. push a lot of charge through a circuit
d. last a long time
9-23
Concept Check
A uniform electric field has a positive test charge on it which
travels from point A to B. Answer the following questions
below.
a. Was work done on the test charge?

b. Where is the electric potential ENERGY highest?
c. Where is the electric potential highest?
9-24
Concept Check
A uniform electric field has a positive test charge on it which
travels from point A to B. Answer the following questions
below.
a. Was work done on the test charge?

b. Where is the electric potential ENERGY highest?
c. Where is the electric potential highest?
9-25
Concept Check
Compared to point D, point A is

_____ electric potential.
a. 12 V higher
b. 12 V lower
c. The same
d. can’t tell
9-26
Concept Check
At what point is the electric

potential zero?
9-27
Concept Check
Energy is required to force a

positive test charge to move ___.
a. through the wire from point A

to point B
b. through the light bulb from

point B to point C
c. through the wire from point C

to point D
d. through the battery from point

D to point A
9-28
Example 1
Two test charges are brought separately to the
vicinity of a positive charge Q
Q r
Charge +q is brought to pt A, a q
distance r from Q A
Charge +2q is brought to pt B, a Q 2r B

distance 2r from Q
2q
I) Compare the potential energy of q (UA) to that of 2q (UB)
(a) UA < UB (b) UA = UB (c) UA > UB
9-29
Example 2
Two test charges are brought separately to the
vicinity of a positive charge Q
Q r
Charge +q is brought to pt A, a q
distance r from Q A
Charge +2q is brought to pt B, a Q 2r B

distance 2r from Q
2q
I) Compare the potential energy of q (UA) to that of 2q (UB)
(a) UA < UB (b) UA = UB (c) UA > UB
The potential energy of q is proportional to Qq/r

The potential energy of 2q is proportional to Q(2q)/(2r) = Qq/r
Therefore, the potential energies UA and UB are EQUAL!!!
9-30
Example 3
II) Suppose charge 2q has mass m and is released from rest from
the above position (a distance 2r from Q). What is its velocity vf
as it approaches r = ∞ ?
(a) v f  1 Qq (b) v f  1 Qq (c) v f  0
4 0 mr 2 0 mr
The principle at work here is CONSERVATION OF ENERGY.

Initially:
The charge has no kinetic energy since it is at rest.
The charge does have potential energy (electric) = UB.
Finally:
The charge has no potential energy (U µ 1/R)
The charge does have kinetic energy = KE
1 Q ( 2q ) 1 1 Qq
U B  KE  mv 2f v 2f 
4 0 2r 2 2 0 mr
9-31
FORMATIVE
9-32
A
Points A, B, and C lie in a E C

B
uniform electric field.
What is the potential difference between points A and B?
ΔVAB = VB - VA
a) ΔVAB > 0 b) ΔVAB = 0 c) ΔVAB < 0
The electric field, E, points in the direction of decreasing

potential
Since points A and B are in the same relative horizontal
location in the electric field there is on potential difference
between them
9-33
A

B
Point C is at a higher potential than point A.
True False
As stated previously the electric field points in the direction of

decreasing potential
Since point C is further to the right in the electric field and the
electric field is pointing to the right, point C is at a lower
potential
The statement is therefore false
9-34
A

B
If a negative charge is moved from point A to point B, its electric
potential energy
a) Increases. b) decreases. c) doesn’t change.

The potential energy of a charge at a location in an electric field is
given by the product of the charge and the potential at the location
As shown in Example 4, the potential at points A and B are the

same
Therefore the electric potential energy also doesn’t change
9-35
A

B
Compare the potential differences between points A and C and
points B and C.
a) VAC > VBC b) VAC = VBC c) VAC < VBC
In Example 4 we showed that the the potential at points A and B

were the same
Therefore the potential difference between A and C and the

potential difference between points B and C are the same
Also remember that potential and potential energy are scalars and
directions do not come into play
9-36
Calculating Energy
Suppose you have a 12.0 V motorcycle battery that can

move 5000 C of charge, and 12.0 V that can move 60 000
C of charge. How much energy does each deliver?
U1 = q1V
6.00x104 J
U2 = q2V
7.20x105 J
9-37
Motion of a proton in a uniform
electric field
A proton is released from rest at point A in a uniform

electric field that has a magnitude of 8.0x104 V/m. The
proton undergoes a displacement of magnitude d=0.50 m
to point B in the direction of the electric field E. Find the
speed of the proton after completing the displacement.
HINT: The charge of a proton is 1.6x10-19 C and the mass is 1.67x10-27 kg
vf = 2.77x106 m/s
9-38
Electric potential due to a point charge
A charge of -1.0 μC is located on the y-axis 1.0 m from the

origin at the coordinates (0,1) while a second charge of
+1.0 μC is located on the x-axis 1.0 m from the origin at the
coordinates (1,0). Determine the value of the following
quantities at the origin….
a. electric field
b. Electric potential
9-39
GOOD NEWS! Electric potential is scalar, we simply add the
electric potential due to each point charge to find the sum!
9-40
Solve for the electric potential at point 1
9-41

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Electric Potential and

Electric Potential Energy

Recall what potential energy is

Relate potential energy (and work) with electricity

Solve problems regarding potential differences,

Uniform electric fields, and

Electric potential due to point charges

Potential energy is denoted by U (PE) which has a unit of

The (negative) change in potential energy is equal to the

Ue is the potential energy stored when charges

The work done is independent of path taken from point

The potential energy difference between A and B

UAB = q E d when the +q charge is moved against the field

Voltage is electric potential energy per unit charge

Measured in joules per coulomb or Volts

is the difference in electric potential (V) between the final

Electric field lines are used to represent places with

Equipotential lines and electric field are ALWAYS

No work is required to move a charge along an

1. The quantity electric potential is defined as the amount of

A. Electric potential energy

2. When work is done on a positive test charge by an external

3. If a battery provides a high voltage, it can ____.

a. do a lot of work over the course of its lifetime

a. Was work done on the test charge?

a. Was work done on the test charge?

Compared to point D, point A is

At what point is the electric

Energy is required to force a

a. through the wire from point A

b. through the light bulb from

c. through the wire from point C

d. through the battery from point

Charge +2q is brought to pt B, a Q 2r B

Charge +2q is brought to pt B, a Q 2r B

The potential energy of q is proportional to Qq/r

The principle at work here is CONSERVATION OF ENERGY.

Points A, B, and C lie in a E C

The electric field, E, points in the direction of decreasing

Points A, B, and C lie in a E C

As stated previously the electric field points in the direction of

The statement is therefore false

Points A, B, and C lie in a E C

a) Increases. b) decreases. c) doesn’t change.

As shown in Example 4, the potential at points A and B are the

Therefore the electric potential energy also doesn’t change

Points A, B, and C lie in a E C

a) VAC > VBC b) VAC = VBC c) VAC < VBC

In Example 4 we showed that the the potential at points A and B

Therefore the potential difference between A and C and the

Suppose you have a 12.0 V motorcycle battery that can

A proton is released from rest at point A in a uniform

HINT: The charge of a proton is 1.6x10-19 C and the mass is 1.67x10-27 kg

A charge of -1.0 μC is located on the y-axis 1.0 m from the

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