ELECTRIC POTENTIAL AND POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

Potential is potential energy U per unit charge q0 given by:

U
V = (1)
q0
SI Unit: *volt (V); named after the Italian electrical experimenter Alessandro Volta
*1 volt = 1 joule/coulomb (1 J/C)

Considering a displacement from point a to point b, and treating the work from a to b, Wa→b
on a per unit charge basis we will obtain,
Wa→b
= Va − Vb = Vab (2)
q0
where Va = potential at point a
Vb = potential at point b
Vab = potential of a with respect to b (often called as the potential
difference (voltage) from a to b)
Equation 2 states that the potential Vab equals the work done by the electric force
when a unit charge (1 C) moves from a to b.

Voltmeter is an instrument that measures potential difference between two points.

From (1), electric potential due to a single point charge becomes,

1 q
V = (3)
4π0 r
For a collection of point charges,
1 X qi
V = (4)
4π0 i ri
For a continuous charge distribution,
Z
1 dq
V = (5)
4π0 r

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL AND ELECTRIC FIELD

The electric potential is closely related to the electric field due to a charge (single, collection,
or distribution). The relation is given by,
Z b Z b
Va − Vb = ~ ~
E · dl or Va − Vb = E cosφ dl (6)
a a

1
 ~ and F
Remarks about V , E, ~:

~ means moving in the direction of decreasing V .

1. Moving with the direction of E
~ means moving in the direction of increasing V .
2. Moving against the direction of E
~ in the direction of E,
3. A positive charge experiences an electric force F ~ toward lower
values of V .
~ opposite of E,
4. A negative charge experiences an electric force F ~ toward higher values
of V .

From equation 6, we can say that the unit volt/meter (V/m) is also a unit of the electric
~
field E.

ELECTRON VOLTS

The magnitude e of the charge of an electron can be used in to define a unit of energy given
as the product of the magnitude of the electron charge and a potential difference of 1 V.
This quantity is defined to be 1 electron volt (1 eV).

1 eV = 1.602 × 10−19 J

Activity #1: Conversion

Convert the following values.

1. 3.204 × 10−19 J to eV.

2. 3.204 × 10−16 J to keV.

3. 7.772 × 103 J to meV.

EXAMPLES

1. An α particle (q = +2e) moves a distance of 3700 cm from a to b in a linear accelerator.

A uniform electric field with a magnitude of E = 1.95 × 109 V/m in the direction of
the particle’s motion is present in the accelerator. (a) Determine the force on the α
particle. (b) How much work is done to it by the field? (c) Determine the potential
difference Va − Vb .

2. Show that equation 6 will result to equation 3.

3. An electric dipole is placed 20.0 cm apart. Compute the electric potentials at points
a, b, and c.

2
 Figure 1

Activity #2: Potential Difference

A particle with charge q0 = 3.00 nC starts from rest and moves in a straight line from point
a to point b with a speed of 107 m/s. as shown below. What is the mass of the particle?

Figure 2

MORE EXAMPLES:

1. A ring with radius a has a charge Q distributed around it. Find the potential at a
point P on the ring axis at a distance x from the center of the ring.

2. Positive electric charge Q is distributed uniformly along a line of length 2a lying along
the y−axis between y = −a and y = +a. Find the electric potential at a point P on
the x−axis at a distance x from the origin.

Prepared using LATEXby: Allen Neil C. Garcia