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CH 4 Phy

The document discusses electric potential and potential energy. It defines potential energy for conservative forces and how electric force is also conservative, allowing potential energy to be defined for electrostatic systems. It provides formulas for calculating electric potential energy when a charge moves between two points in an electric field. Potential is then defined as the change in potential energy per unit charge. Methods are given for calculating potential from electric field and for various charge distributions including point charges, dipoles, continuous line and surface charges.

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52 views38 pages

CH 4 Phy

The document discusses electric potential and potential energy. It defines potential energy for conservative forces and how electric force is also conservative, allowing potential energy to be defined for electrostatic systems. It provides formulas for calculating electric potential energy when a charge moves between two points in an electric field. Potential is then defined as the change in potential energy per unit charge. Methods are given for calculating potential from electric field and for various charge distributions including point charges, dipoles, continuous line and surface charges.

Uploaded by

Malik
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 4

Electric potential
Potential Energy:
Many electrical phenomena's are associated with transfer of large
quantities of energy. Gravitational and Electric forces are similar, both
obeys inverse square law;

For conservative force, we define potential energy “ The difference in


potential energy of system as object move from initial point to final
point is equal to negative of workdone by the force.”
Where ‘’ is the work done by the force , when the object move from ‘i’
to ‘f’ position and for object and

The electrostatic force is also conservative and therefore, there is a


potential energy associated with the configuration of a system in which
electrostatic force act.
Gravitational force is always attractive while electrostatics force is
either attractive or repulsive.
Electric Potential Energy:
As electrostatics force is
conservative so we can
calculate the change in P.E
when a charge moves
from point a to b due to
force on charge at rest.
Assume that both , are
positive . The vector
represents an infinitesimal
Displacement along direction of motion from a to b. The force and
displacement are always parallel for this motion. So,

Where
• If charge moves towards , then and 0. i.e; P.E increases if charges
move closer together.
• If charge moves away from , then and 0 . i.e; P.E decreases if charges
moves further apart.
• If charge is moving from a to b
along the arc of a circle then
that gives .
Electric Potential:
It is defined as
“The change in P.E per unit test/ point charge in an electric field”.

It is also defined as, “ The potential difference b/w two points is defined
as the work done in moving a unit positive charge from one point to
other against Electric field keeping the charge in Electrostatic
Equilibrium.
is in Joules.

Both P.E and potential are scalar.


Calculating potential from Field:
• Consider two points a and b
separated by a distance ‘L’ in the
electric field. Electric field
suppose to be uniform. When a
test charge ‘’ is placed in the
Electric field, it experience a
force in the direction of electric
field. When we displace from a
to b in the direction of
then work is done by the uniform electric field that is

Where

then
Where
Or

called potential gradient.


For Non-uniform Electric Field:
We divide the whole path into large no of small displacements that
each element has uniform over it. The Work done is
For potential at a point P rather than from ‘a’ to ‘b’ relative to some
reference point to be at infinity and define V=0 at infinity then potential
at point ‘P’ is
Potential due to a point charge:
We consider a continuous
distribution of charge. Let a test
charge ‘’ moves from point a to
point b in the vicinity of a
positive point charge ‘q’. In this
case both has radial
component (ds=dr), therefore
Where

Then
To find potential at a point, choose a reference point at infinity,
Then then potential,
Potential due to a collection of point
charge:
Suppose, we have a
collection of N-point
charges making distance
respectively from an
arbitrary point P. Then
Electric potential is

where
.
.

Then
Problem#1
What must be the magnitude of an isolated positive point charge for
the electric potential at 15 cm from the charge to be +120 V? assume
V=0 at infinity.
Problem # 2
What is the electric potential at the surface of a gold nucleus? The
radius is m and atomic no Z is 7.
Potential due to an Electric Dipole:
Consider a dipole consisting
of a pair of charge +q,-q
which are at a distance ‘d’
apart and placed along z-
axis. The origin of our co-
ordinate system is at the
center of the dipole. We
have to fine out the electric
potential at point ‘P’, which
is located at a distance ‘r’
from the
Center of dipole making angle with the axis of dipole. The distance
from the positive and negative charges to P are ‘’ and ‘’ respectively. So,
potential

So, total potential at point ‘P’ is


For ;
The dipole has cylindrical symmetry for rotation about z-axis.
Electric Potential of Continuous charge
Distributions:
The procedure for calculating the potential for a continuous charge
distribution is similar to that used to find force or Electric Field.
Potential is a scalar.
The procedure for calculating the potential begins by dividing the
object into charge elements dq. We can write the potential dV due to a
charge dq by assuming that it behave like a point charge.

Where ‘r’ is the distance from dq to observation point P.


The total potential is found by adding the contributions from all the
charge elements of the object.
A uniform line of charge:
Consider a uniform line of charge
‘q’ of linear charge density λ,
where

To find the potential due to


charge element dq at point P, a
distance y from the rod on its
perpendicular bisector such that
Then the potential is

To integrate over length L, we get


As we move far from the rod then V and y, then

As
So

As we are very far away from the rod, then it looks like a point charge.
A Ring of charge:
Consider a uniform ring of
positive charge q of linear charge
density such that

The ring is divided into


infinitesimal length elements
such that the contribution to the
potential at point P on its axis
due to charge elements such
that
Is given

On Integrating from 0 to ,
So,
A charged Disk:
Consider a charged disk of
radius R of surface charge
density , where

To find the potential dV at


point P, divide the disk into
large no. of concentric rings
such that the potential due to
ring of radius w and charge is
given
To sum the contributions from all the rings on disk, we integrate from
‘0’ to ‘R’ ;
So,

When z is large, then by Binomial Theorem,


Where,

Potential of a point charge.


For very small z, then

And as then

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