Mark Wilson Alota John Martin Mari Angel Dominic: Title Title Title

Mark Wilson Alota John Martin Mari Angel Dominic
Title Title Title
1
ELECTROSTATI
C
POTENTIAL
ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL IS THE
EFFORT REQUIRED TO MOVE A UNIT
POSITIVE CHARGE FROM INFINITY
TO A POINT IN AN ELECTROSTATIC
FIELD. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE WILL
STUDY ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL
IN TERMS OF A POSITIVE CHARGE IN
A MAGNETIC FIELD. THE FORCE 3
NEEDED TO MOVE THE POSITIVE

CHARGE IS KNOWN AS THE
WHAT IS • electrostatic potential is the amount of work done
ELECTROSTATIC to move a unit charge from a reference point to a
point inside the field without acceleration. The
POTENTIAL? potential drop is also known as the electric field
potential or potential drop. 4
ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL OF A
CHARGE
The electrostatic potential of a charge is
the potential energy of a system of
charges fixed in a static position.
The potential energy is the work done on
a charge by the electric field it is placed
in.
In this section, we will learn about the
electrostatic potential.
6
Taking an example of a charged particle being brought from a point A to a point B in
the electric field, the work done by an external force in bringing this unit positive charge from point A to B is given by ,
Where VA and VB is the electrostatic potential of the particle at points A and B,

respectively, UA and UB are the potential energy of the particle at points A and B. Q is the magnitude of the charge.
7
As we know, the actual value of the potential at any point holds no significance, and
we would rather calculate the potential difference between two points for any given
system of charges.
Now, as we know, the potential energy of a charged particle at infinity is assumed to

be zero, so the electrostatic potential of an object is calculated for a particle with
infinity reference.
Electrostatic potential in the electric field region, at any point, is defined as the
work done in bringing a unit charge from infinity to that point such that the particle
undergoes no acceleration.
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Activity
1. What is electrostatic potential also known as?
2. What is the SI unit of electrostatic potential?
3. What is the dimensional formula of electrostatic
potential?
4. What are the symbols used to represent the
electrostatic potential?
5. What is the formula to calculate the electric
potential energy?
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Electric Potential Energy
We can consider the potential energy of any charge using the gravitational
analogy. Suppose you have a uniform electric field at the left with oppositely
charged plates and Earth's surface where gravitational field is also uniform.
This time, we place a test charge q in the electric field and a body with mass m in
the gravitational field. Thus, the charge is now acted upon by an electric force and
gravitational force.
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If we want to move the test charge to plate B, a force must be applied
to push against the force of the electric field. When a force F is acted on
a particle from points a to b, the work 𝑊𝑎→𝑏 done is given by a line
integral.
where dl is the infinitesimal displacement along the path and 𝜙 is the

angle between the force and displacement along the path. If the force
applied is conservative, the work done can be expressed as potential
energy U. Thus,
If 𝑊𝑎→𝑏 is positive, 𝑈𝑎 is greater than 𝑈𝑏 , ∆𝑈 is negative, potential energy decreases. For instance, when
mass m falls towards the Earth's surface, gravity does positive work, but the gravitational potential energy
decreases. If the mass was tossed upward, the gravity does negative work and potential energy increases.
Whether the test charge in the electric field is positive or negative, the potential energy increases if the test
charge moves opposite to the direction of the electric force. Potential energy decreases if the charge moves in
the same direction as the electric force. Similarly, the gravitational potential energy increases if the body moves 11
upward or against the direction of gravitational force and decreases if it moves downward or in same direction
with gravitational force
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Electric Potential
The potential energy was associated with a test charge in an electric
field. This time, we will be expressing the potential energy per unit
charge leading us to another concept known as electric potential or
simply potential. Potential is expressed as:
where U is the electric potential energy and q0 is the charge. The electric
potential is expressed as volt (V). 1 Volt = 1
Joule/Coulomb
When we divide both sides of the equation relating work done by the
electric force from points a to b by q0 to represent it as work per unit
charge.
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The difference 𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏 is known as the potential difference. It is the difference
between the potential at point a and point b. This will be analyzed more in electric
circuits.
Electric Potential from an Electric Field
Determining electric potential from electric field is given by:
where electric field can be expressed as Volt/meter or Newton/Coulomb.

14
If you move in the direction of electric potential, the electric potential V decreases. It increases
when you move in the direction opposite to the electric field.
Electron Volts If charge q is the magnitude of the electron charge and
the potential difference is 1V, the change in energy in moving the
charge from points a to point is 1.602 𝑥 10^−19𝐽. This quantity of
energy is defined to be 1 electron volt (eV)
Equipotential Surfaces
Topographic maps are represented by contour lines drawn through points
with similar elevation. These contour lines represent the curves of constant
gravitational potential energy. When they are very close to each other, the
terrain is steep, and large elevation changes occur. If these are far apart, the
terrain is gently sloping. In analogy, an equipotential surface is a three-
dimensional surface where electric potential V is the same. If a test charge
is moved from one point to another point on a given surface, the electric
potential remains the same.
The equipotential surfaces are always perpendicular to the electric field lines. There is no work when a
charge is moved from point to point b within the same equipotential surface. When charges are at rest,
the conductor's surface is an equipotential surface. Electric fields are always directed perpendicular to
the surface. This also holds true for charges at rest in an entire solid volume of a conductor.

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Title Title Title

NEEDED TO MOVE THE POSITIVE

Where VA and VB is the electrostatic potential of the particle at points A and B,

Now, as we know, the potential energy of a charged particle at infinity is assumed to

where dl is the infinitesimal displacement along the path and 𝜙 is the

Electric Potential from an Electric Field

Determining electric potential from electric field is given by:

where electric field can be expressed as Volt/meter or Newton/Coulomb.

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