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Physics (102) Electricity and Magnetism
Physics (102) Electricity and Magnetism
Physics Department
24-2 Electric Potential Energy
When an electrostatic force acts between two or more charged particles within a
system of particles, we can assign an electric potential energy U to the system.
If the system changes its configuration from an initial state i to a different final
state f, the electrostatic force does work W on the particles. We then know that the
resulting change U in the potential energy of the system is:
24-2 Electric Potential Energy
Suppose a charged particle within the system moves from point i to point f while an
electrostatic force between it and the rest of the system acts on it. The work W done
by the force on the particle is the same for all paths between points i and f.
Suppose that several charged particles come together from initially infinite separations
(state i) to form a system of neighboring particles (state f ). Let the initial potential
energy Ui be zero, and let W∞ represent the work done by the electrostatic forces
between the particles during the move in from infinity. Then the final potential energy U
of the system is
CHECKPOINT 1
The potential energy of a charged particle in an electric field depends on the charge
magnitude. However, the potential energy per unit charge has a unique value at any
point in an electric field.
The potential energy per unit charge at a point in an electric field is called the electric
potential V (or simply the potential) at that point.
The electric potential difference V between any two points i and f in an electric
field is equal to the difference in potential energy per unit charge between
the two points
Work by the Field. The work W done by the electric force as the particle moves
from i to f:
24-3 Electric Potential
electric potential difference
The electric potential V at a point P in the electric field
of a charged object is
Now suppose the particle is stationary before and after the move. Then Kf and Ki are
both zero
In words, the work Wapp done by our applied force during the move is
equal to the negative of the work W done by the electric field—provided
there is no change in kinetic energy.
24-3 Electric Potential
Work Done by an Applied Force
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 i and f on the same equipotential surface
Figure shows a family of equipotential
surfaces associated with the electric
field due to some distribution of
charges. The work done by the electric
field on a charged particle as the
particle moves from one end to the
other of paths I and II is zero because
each of these paths begins and ends on
the same equipotential surface and thus
there is no net change in potential. The
work done as the
charged particle moves from one end to the other of paths III and IV is not zero but has
the same value for both these paths because the initial and final potentials are identical
for the two paths; that is, paths III and IV connect the same pair of equipotential
surfaces.
24-4 Equipotential Surfaces
(a) rightward; (b) 1, 2, 3, 5: positive; 4, negative; (c) 3, then 1, 2, and 5 tie, then 4
24-6 Potential due to a Charged Particle
We set Vf =0 (at ∞) and Vi =V (at R), For the magnitude of the electric field at the site
of the test charge
Figure 24-7 shows a computer-generated plot of Eq. 24-
26 for a positively charged particle; the magnitude of V
is plotted vertically. Note that the magnitude increases
as r 0. In fact, according to Eq. 24-26, V is infinite at r =
0,although Fig. 24-7 shows a finite, smoothed-off value
there.
t
CHECKPOINT 4
(2) summing the potential due to each element by integrating over the full distribution:
We now find the total potential V produced by the rod at point P by integrating dV
along the length of the rod, from x = 0 to x = L (Figs.d and e)
24-9 Potential due to a Continuous Charge Distribution
Charged Disk
Eq. 24-46
Homework
4-16-34-35
Page 648 - 651
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