Chapter 25

Electric Potential
25.1 Electrical Potential Energy
When a test charge is placed in an electric field, it experiences a force.

 Fe  qoE
 The force is conservative.
If the test charge is moved in the field by some external agent, the work
done
 by the field is the negative of the work done by the external agent.
ds
is an infinitesimal displacement vector that is oriented tangent to a
path through space.
 The path may be straight or curved and the integral performed along
this path is called either a path integral or a line integral.

Section 25.1
Electric Potential Energy, cont
The work done within the charge-field system by the electric field on the
charge is  
F  ds  qoE  ds

As this work is done by the field, the

 potential energy of the charge-field
system is changed by ΔU = qoE  ds
For a finite displacement of the charge from A to B, the change in
potential energy of the system is
B  
U  UB  U A  qo  E  ds
A

Because the force is conservative, the line integral does not depend on
the path taken by the charge.

Section 25.1
Electric Potential

The potential energy per unit charge, U/qo, is the electric potential.
 The potential is characteristic of the field only.
 The potential energy is characteristic of the charge-field system.
 The potential is independent of the value of qo.
 The potential has a value at every point in an electric field.
The electric potential is
U
V
qo

Section 25.1
Electric Potential, cont.
The potential is a scalar quantity.
 Since energy is a scalar
As a charged particle moves in an electric field, it will experience a
change in potential.
U B  
V     E  ds
qo A

The infinitesimal displacement is interpreted as the displacement

between two points in space rather than the displacement of a point
charge.

Section 25.1
Electric Potential, final
The difference in potential is the meaningful quantity.
We often take the value of the potential to be zero at some convenient
point in the field.
Electric potential is a scalar characteristic of an electric field,
independent of any charges that may be placed in the field.
The potential difference between two points exists solely because of a
source charge and depends on the source charge distribution.
 For a potential energy to exist, there must be a system of two or
more charges.
 The potential energy belongs to the system and changes only if a
charge is moved relative to the rest of the system.

Section 25.1
Work and Electric Potential
Assume a charge moves in an electric field without any change in its
kinetic energy.
The work performed on the charge is
W = ΔU = q ΔV
Units:1 V ≡ 1 J/C
 V is a volt.
 It takes one joule of work to move a 1-coulomb charge through a
potential difference of 1 volt.
In addition, 1 N/C = 1 V/m
 This indicates we can interpret the electric field as a measure of the
rate of change of the electric potential with respect to position.

Section 25.1
Voltage
Electric potential is described by many terms.
The most common term is voltage.
A voltage applied to a device or across a device is the same as the
potential difference across the device.
 The voltage is not something that moves through a device.

Section 25.1
25.2 Potential Difference in a Uniform Field
The equations for electric potential between two points A and B can be
simplified if the electric field is uniform:
B   B
VB  VA  V    E  ds  E  ds  Ed
A A

The displacement points from A to B and is parallel to the field lines.

The negative sign indicates that the electric potential at point B is lower
than at point A.
 Electric field lines always point in the direction of decreasing electric
potential.

Section 25.2
Energy and the Direction of Electric Field
When the electric field is directed
downward, point B is at a lower
potential than point A.
When a positive test charge moves
from A to B, the charge-field system
loses potential energy.
Electric field lines always point in the
direction of decreasing electric
potential.

Section 25.2
More About Directions
A system consisting of a positive charge and an electric field loses
electric potential energy when the charge moves in the direction of the
field.
 An electric field does work on a positive charge when the charge
moves in the direction of the electric field.
The charged particle gains kinetic energy and the potential energy of the
charge-field system decreases by an equal amount.
 Another example of Conservation of Energy

Section 25.2
Directions, cont.
If qo is negative, then ΔU is positive.
A system consisting of a negative charge and an electric field gains
potential energy when the charge moves in the direction of the field.
 In order for a negative charge to move in the direction of the field, an
external agent must do positive work on the charge.

Section 25.2
Equipotentials
Point B is at a lower potential than point
A.
Points B and C are at the same
potential.
 All points in a plane perpendicular
to a uniform electric field are at the
same electric potential.
The name equipotential surface is
given to any surface consisting of a
continuous distribution of points having
the same electric potential.

Section 25.2
Charged Particle in a Uniform Field, Example
A positive charge is released from rest
and moves in the direction of the
electric field.
The change in potential is negative.
The change in potential energy is
negative.
The force and acceleration are in the
direction of the field.
Conservation of Energy can be used to
find its speed.

Section 25.2
25.3 Potential and Point Charges
An isolated positive point charge
produces a field directed radially
outward.
The potential difference between points
A and B will be
 1 1
VB  VA  keq   
 rB rA 

Section 25.3
Potential and Point Charges, cont.
The electric potential is independent of the path between points A and B.
It is customary to choose a reference potential of V = 0 at rA = ∞.
Then the potential due to a point charge at some point r is
q
V  ke
r

Section 25.3
Electric Potential with Multiple Charges
The electric potential due to several point charges is the sum of the
potentials due to each individual charge.
 This is another example of the superposition principle.
 The sum is the algebraic sum
qi
V  ke 
i ri
 V = 0 at r = ∞

Section 25.3
Potential Energy of Multiple Charges

q1q2
The potential energy of the system is U  ke .
r12

If the two charges are the same sign, U is positive and work must be done to
bring the charges together.
If the two charges have opposite signs, U is negative and work is done to keep
the charges apart.

Section 25.3
U with Multiple Charges, final

If there are more than two charges,

then find U for each pair of charges
and add them.
For three charges:
 q1q2 q1q3 q2q3 
U  ke    
r
 12 r13 r23 

 The result is independent of the

order of the charges.

Section 25.3
Section 25.3
Section 25.3
25.4 Finding E From V
Assume, to start, that the field has only an x component.
dV
Ex  
dx
Similar statements would apply to the y and z components.
Equipotential surfaces must always be perpendicular to the electric field
lines passing through them.

Section 25.4
E and V for an Infinite Sheet of Charge

The equipotential lines are the

dashed blue lines.
The electric field lines are the
brown lines.
The equipotential lines are
everywhere perpendicular to the
field lines.

Section 25.4
E and V for a Point Charge

The equipotential lines are the

dashed blue lines.
The electric field lines are the
brown lines.
The electric field is radial.
Er = - dV / dr
The equipotential lines are
everywhere perpendicular to the
field lines.

Section 25.4
E and V for a Dipole

The equipotential lines are the

dashed blue lines.
The electric field lines are the
brown lines.
The equipotential lines are
everywhere perpendicular to the
field lines.

Section 25.4
Electric Field from Potential, General
In general, the electric potential is a function of all three dimensions.
Given V (x, y, z) you can find Ex, Ey and Ez as partial derivatives:

V V V
Ex   Ey   Ez  
x y z

Section 25.4
25.5 Electric Potential for a Continuous Charge Distribution
Method 1: The charge distribution is
known.
Consider a small charge element dq
 Treat it as a point charge.
The potential at some point due to this
charge element is

dq
dV  ke
r

Section 25.5
V for a Continuous Charge Distribution, cont.
To find the total potential, you need to integrate to include the
contributions from all the elements.
dq
V  ke 
r
 This value for V uses the reference of V = 0 when P is infinitely far
away from the charge distributions.
V for a Continuous Charge Distribution, final
If the electric field is already known from other considerations, the
potential can be calculated using the original approach:
B  
V    E  ds
A

 If the charge distribution has sufficient symmetry, first find the field
from Gauss’ Law and then find the potential difference between any
two points,
 Choose V = 0 at some convenient point

Section 25.5
V for a Uniformly Charged Ring

P is located on the perpendicular

central axis of the uniformly
charged ring .
The symmetry of the situation
means that all the charges on the
ring are the same distance from
point P.
 The ring has a radius a and a
total charge Q.
The potential and the field are
given by dq keQ
V  ke  
r a2  x 2
ke x
Ex  Q
a 
3/2
2
x 2
Section 25.5
V for a Uniformly Charged Disk
The ring has a radius R and surface
charge density of σ.
P is along the perpendicular central
axis of the disk.
P is on the cental axis of the disk,
symmetry indicates that all points in a
given ring are the same distance from
P.
The potential and the field are given by
 2 
 
1
V  2πke σ  R  x 2  x 
2

 
 
x
E x  2πke σ 1  

 
R2  x2 
1/2

 
Section 25.5
V for a Finite Line of Charge

A rod of line ℓ has a total charge of

Q and a linear charge density of λ.
 There is no symmetry to use,
but the geometry is simple.

keQ    a 2  2 
V ln  
  a 
 

Section 25.5
V Due to a Charged Conductor
Consider two points on the surface of
the charged conductor as shown.

E is always perpendicular
 to the
displacement ds .
 
Therefore, E  ds  0
Therefore, the potential difference
between A and B is also zero.

Section 25.6
V Due to a Charged Conductor, cont.
V is constant everywhere on the surface of a charged conductor in
equilibrium.
 ΔV = 0 between any two points on the surface
The surface of any charged conductor in electrostatic equilibrium is an
equipotential surface.
Every point on the surface of a charge conductor in equilibrium is at the
same electric potential.
Because the electric field is zero inside the conductor, we conclude that
the electric potential is constant everywhere inside the conductor and
equal to the value at the surface.

Section 25.6
Cavity in a Conductor
Assume an irregularly shaped cavity is
inside a conductor.
Assume no charges are inside the
cavity.
The electric field inside the conductor
must be zero.

Section 25.6
Cavity in a Conductor, cont
The electric field inside does not depend on the charge distribution on
the outside surface of the conductor.
For all paths between A and B,
B  
VB  VA    E  ds  0
A

A cavity surrounded by conducting walls is a field-free region as long as

no charges are inside the cavity.

Section 25.6