ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

AND POTENTIAL
ENERGY
the fundamental basics
 How can we manipulate energy in
electric fields?

Apply FORCE to push like charges TOGETHER

Apply FORCE to push unlike charges APART

 CONSERVATIVE FORCES

A conservative force “gives back” work that has been done against it

Gravitational and electrostatic forces are conservative

Friction is NOT a conservative force
 CONSERVATIVE FORCES
A conservative force “gives back” work that has been done against it

When we lift a mass m from ground to a height h,

the potential energy of the mass increases by mgh.
If we release the mass, it falls, picking up kinetic
energy (or speed). As the mass falls, the potential
energy is being converted into kinetic energy.
By the time it reaches the ground, the mass has
acquired a kinetic energy ½ mv2 = mgh, and it’s
potential energy is zero.
The gravitational force ‘gave back’ the work that
we did when we lifted the mass.
 CONSERVATIVE FORCES

❑ The gravitational force is a conservative

force.

❑ The electric force is a conservative force as

well.

❑ We will be able to define a potential energy

associated with the electric force. A charge will
have potential energy when in an electric field.

❑ Work done on the charge (by an external

agent,
or by the field) will result in changes in the
potential energy of the charge.
 CONSERVATIVE FORCES

When the total work done by a force F, moving an object over a

closed loop, is zero, then the force is conservative

 F  dr = 0  F is conservative
The circle on the integral sign indicates that the integral is taken over a closed path

The work done by a conservative force, in moving and object

between two points A and B, is independent of the path taken
B

 F  dr
is a function of A and B only
is NOT a function of the path selected
A
 Electric Fields

The electric field can store energy.

Charges gain potential energy when moved against the
field in the same way as masses gain energy when lifted
against gravity.
The electric field can do work! (remember the
work/energy connection) when they move charges

Work done against the field to move the charge

equals PE or KE gained by the charge
 POTENTIAL ENERGY
a. In an elevated position, the ram has gravitational
potential energy. When released, this energy is
transferred to the pile below.

b. Similar energy transfer occurs for electric charges.

The energy a charge has due to its location in an electric field is

called electrical potential energy.
 POTENTIAL ENERGY

The change UAB in potential energy,

associated with a conservative force,
is the negative of the work done by that force,
as it acts from point A to point B

UAB = -WAB

UAB = UB – UA = potential energy difference between A and B

 POTENTIAL ENERGY
Potential energy is a relative quantity, that means, it is always
the difference between two values, or it is measured with respect
to a reference point (usually infinity).

We will always refer to, or imply, the change in potential energy

(potential energy difference) between two points.

The change UAB in potential energy, associated with a conservative

force F, is the negative of the work done by that force, as it acts
(over any path) from point A to point B
B
UAB = -WAB = -  F.dr
A
UAB = UB – UA = potential energy difference between A and B
POTENTIAL ENERGY IN A CONSTANT FIELD E
E
L
A
• •B

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 = -WAB = -FE L = q E L

UAB = q E L
POTENTIAL ENERGY IN A CONSTANT FIELD E
E
L
A
• dL •B

Potential energy difference between A and B

UAB = UB – UA = -  q E.dl

But E = constant, and E.dl = -1 E dl, then:

UAB = -  q E.dl =  q E dl = q E  dl = q E L

UAB = q E L UB - UA = q E L
 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 L

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

 QUESTION TO PONDER

E
L
A
• •B

At which point (A or B) is the potential energy larger,

a) For a positive charge +q ?
b) For a negative charge –q ?
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL

• If we push a single charge against an electric field,

we do a certain amount of work.

• If we push two charges against the same field, we do

twice as much work.

• Two charges in the same location in an electric field

will have twice the electrical potential energy as one;
ten charges will have ten times the potential energy.

• It is convenient when working with electricity to

consider the electrical potential energy per
charge.
 Electric Potential

The electrical potential energy per charge is the total electrical

potential energy divided by the amount of charge.

At any location, the potential energy per charge—whatever

the amount of charge—will be the same.

The concept of electrical potential energy per charge has

the name, electric potential.

Electrical Potential is also called VOLTAGE or

ELECTRICAL POTENIAL DIFFERENCE, or
POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE
 Example 1

6.0 joules of work are done pushing an object with

3.0 coulombs of charge toward a charged plate.

I. How much electrical potential energy was stored in the electric

fields?
6.0 J

I. What is the electrical potential difference in the field between

the charged object and the plate?
V = W/q
V = 6.0 J / 3.0 C
V = 2.0 V
Example 2
An object with 2 coulombs of charge
is accelerated using an electrical
potential difference of 10 volts.

How much kinetic energy does the object receive?

V=W
q
W = qV
W = (2C)(10 V)
W = 20 J
Example 3

An object with a charge of -0.5 coulombs is pushed 0.2 meters

toward a negatively charged plate with a force of 10 newtons.
What is the energy required to do this?
W = Fd = (10 N)(0.2 m) = 2 J
What is the potential difference between the object and the
plate after it is pushed?
V= W = 2J =4V
q 0.5 C
 Example 4

An electron is raised through a potential difference of 3000

volts.

What is the work done on the electron?

V= W/q

W = Vq = (3000 V)(1.6 x 10-19 C) = 4.8 x 10-16 J

 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

The potential energy U depends on the charge being moved.

In order to remove this dependence, we introduce the concept
of electric potential V

Electric Potential = Potential Energy per Unit Charge

VAB = UAB / q

VAB = VB – VA
Electric potential difference between the points A and B
 ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

The potential energy U depends on the charge being moved.

In order to remove this dependence, we introduce the concept
of electrical potential V

VAB = UAB / q

Electrical Potential = Potential Energy per Unit Charge

B
VAB = UAB / q = - (1/q)  q E . dL = -  E . dL
A
VAB = Electrical potential difference between the points A and B
 ELECTRIC POTENTIAL IN A CONSTANT FIELD E
E
L
A
• •B

The electric potential difference between A and B equals the

negative of the work per unit charge, done by the field,
as the charge q is moved from A to B

VAB = VB – VA = -WAB /q = qE L/q = E L

VAB = E L
ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL IN A CONSTANT FIELD E
E
L
A
• dL •B VAB = UAB / q

The electrical potential difference between A and B equals

the work per unit charge necessary, for an external agent, to
move a charge +q from A to B
VAB = VB – VA = -WAB /q = -  E.dl
But E = constant, and E.dl = -1 E dl, then:
VAB = -  E.dl =  E dl = E  dl = E L

VAB = E L UAB = q E L
 POTENTIAL ENERGY ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
IN A CONSTANT FIELD E IN A CONSTANT FIELD E
UAB VAB
E
L
A
• • B

VAB = UAB / q

UAB = UB – UA = -WAB = -FE L VAB = VB – VA = -WAB /q = E L

UAB = q E L VAB = E L
 ELECTRON VOLTS

• Alternate unit for ENERGY.

• Shortcut for elementary charges.
• 1 electron-volt (eV) is the energy needed to move
1 elementary charge (e) through a potential difference
of 1 volt.
• 1 eV = 1.60 x 10-19 J

What is the energy needed to raise four electrons to a

potential of 2.5 volts? V = W /q

2.5 V = W / 4e

W = 10 eV
 UNITS

Potential Energy U: [Joule]  [N m]

(energy = work = force x distance)

Electric Potential V: [Joule/Coulomb]  [Volt]

(potential = energy/charge)

Electric Field E: [N/C]  [V/m]

(electric field = force/charge = potential/distance)
Cases in Which the Electric Field E is not Aligned with dL

E
B
A
• VAB = -  E.dl
 A
•
B

Since F = q E is conservative, the field E is conservative.

Then, the electrical potential difference does not depend
on the integration path.

One possibility is to integrate along the straight line AB.

This is convenient in this case because the field E is constant, and the angle 
between E and dL is constant.

B
E . dl = E dl cos   VAB = - E cos   dl = - E L cos 
A
Cases in Which the Electric Field E is not Aligned with dL

X B
A
•  •
C VAB = -  E.dl
 A
L
•
B
Another possibility is to choose a path that goes from A to C, and
then from C to B

VAB = VAC + VCB VAC = E X VCB = 0 (E ⊥ dL)

Thus, VAB = E X but X = L cos  = - L cos 

VAB = - E L cos 
 EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES (LINES)

A E B
Since the field E is constant

VAB = E L

Then, at a distance X from plate A

X L
E
VAX = E X

All the points along the dashed line,

at X, are at the same potential.
The dashed line is an
equipotential line
L
 EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES (LINES)

X
It takes no work to move a charge
E at right angles to an electric field

E ⊥ dL   E•dL = 0  V = 0

If a surface (line) is perpendicular to

the electric field, all the points in
L the surface (line) are at the same
potential. Such surface (line) is called
EQUIPOTENTIAL

EQUIPOTENTIAL ⊥ ELECTRIC FIELD

What use is electrical potential?

Higher VOLTAGE We use this by putting a

The electrons
A battery is a naturally
RESISTOR in the
tool “want”
thatpath
forces
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the ELECTRONS
drop to a lower
to a higher– as
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they goP.E.
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How RESISTANCE
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VOLTAGE they
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do WORK on it!

RESISTOR
 BON COURANGE

MERCI BEACOUP

POUR VOTRE ATTENTION