ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

AND
POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

 It

was indicated that positive

charged moves from points of lower
electric potential and negative
charges move from points of lower to
points of higher electric potential.

However,

electric potential and

potential differences were not
defined for electric fields around
point charges.

Electric potential was defined as the potential

energy per unit.
Ex.

V=Ue/q

The

unit of electric potential was given as the volt (1

volt= 1 joule per coulomb)

For

a fixed positive charge, V=Ue/q becomes V=kQ/r

Where Q is the magnitude of the fixed charged

If the fixed charge is negative then the electric

potential is negative .
Thus the potential around a positive charge is
positive, while it is negative around a negative
charge.
Electric potential is a scalar, that is, it does not
have a direction.

EXAMPLE

Two charges X and Y of size +4.0x10 -9C and

-3.0x10 -9 C are placed 20cm apart. What is the
electrical potential at A, the midpoint of the line
joining the two charges

EXAMPLE

Consider a fixed positive charges, the electric

potential at A, a distance r1 from the charge Q, is
given by:
Va=kQ/r1
While

the potential at B, a distance r2 away from Q,

is given by:

Vn=kQ/r2

EQUIPOTENTIAS

Lines joining points of the same potential are called

EQUIPOTENTIALS
The positive plate is another equipotential and so is the negative
plate.
The picture above shows that the equipotentials are
perpendicular to the lines of force.
The electric potential at a distance r from a charge of +Q on a
spherical conductor is given by V=kQ/r.

The equipotential lines are perpendicular to the

electric field lines for a spherical charge as well
as for two parallel plates.
The electric field exists in space around a fived
known, hence in three dimensions we have
equipotential surfaces.

Since the potential difference between two points

on an equipotential is zero, no energy is gained or
lost by charge in moving along an euipotential.
No potential difference exists between any points
on the surface since the movement of charge
occurs on the surface after equilibrium is
reached.

ELECTRONS
IN METAL

The movement or flow of electric charge

constitutes an ELECTRIC CURRENT
When an electroscope is earthed the electric
current is transient, i.e. it only exists for a very
short time.
This transient current is due to the movement of
negative charges wire.

The negatively- charged electrons that move in

wires is demonstrated by the following
experiment.
The main part of the apparatus consist of a thin
metal wire filament which passes along the axis
of a hollow metal cylinder.
The filament can be heated by connecting it to
battery A.
An electric field is created between the filament
and the cylinder by battery B.

The positive terminal of battery B is connected to

the cylinder while the negative terminal is
connected to the filament via an ammeter, used to
measure any current that flows.
The filament and cylinder are enclosed in an
evacuated glass envelope so that no gas molecules
can interfere with the experiment.
If the connections to battery B is reversed so that
the filament is positive and the cylinder is negative
then no current is detected even if the temperature
of the filament incresed.
If positive particles were emitted then we would
expected current to flow.

These negative particles are accelerated towards

the positive cylinder by the electric field created
between the filament and the cylinder.
No changed occurs in the nature of the filament
and no metal is deposited on the cylinder if the
experiment is continued for some time

These negative particles are ELECTRONS

It is described as the boiling out of electrons
from a hot metal wire. It is basis upon which
cathode ray tubes operate. The process is called
THERMIONIC EMISSION