Lecture 4

ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
• Electric potential is the electric potential energy per unit charge.

• The potential energy per unit charge 𝑈/𝑞0 is independent of the value
of 𝑞0 and has a value at every point in an electric field. This quantity
𝑈/𝑞0 is called the electric potential (or simply the potential) V.

• Definition of Electric potential, V (NOT potential energy). The electric

potential at any point in an electric field is
𝐵
∆𝑈
∆𝑉 = = − න 𝑬. 𝑑𝒔 (2.1)
𝑞0 𝐴
SI unit: joule/coulomb=volt, V
• That is, 1 J of work must be done to move a 1-C charge through a
potential difference of 1 V

• Potential difference should not be confused with difference in

potential energy. The potential difference between A and B depends
only on the source charge distribution (consider points A and B without
the presence of the test charge), while the difference in potential
energy exists only if a test charge is moved between the points.

• The fact that potential energy is a scalar quantity means that electric
potential also is a scalar quantity.
• Equation 2.1 shows that potential difference also has units of electric field times
distance. From this, it follows that the SI unit of electric field (N/C) can also
be expressed in volts per meter

𝑁 𝑉
1 = 1 (2.2)
𝐶 𝑚

• Therefore, we can interpret the electric field as a measure of the rate of change with
position of the electric potential.

• A unit of energy commonly used in atomic and nuclear physics is the electron volt
(eV), which is defined as the energy a charge–field system gains or loses
when a charge of magnitude 𝒆 (that is, an electron or a proton) is moved through
a potential difference of 1 V.

• Because 1 𝑉 = 1 𝐽/𝐶 and because the fundamental charge is 1.60 𝑥 10−19 𝐶, the
electron volt is related to the joule as follows:
1eV = 1.60 𝑥 10−19 𝐶. 𝑉 = 1.60 𝑥 10−19 𝐽 (2.3)
WORK AND ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY

• It takes work to move an electric charge perpendicular to an electric field:

∆𝑈 = −𝑊 = −𝑞𝑜𝐸𝑑
• For an infinitesimal displacement 𝑑𝒔 of a charge, the work done by the
electric field on the charge is 𝑭. 𝑑𝒔 = 𝑞0𝑬. 𝑑𝒔 (since 𝑭 = 𝑬𝑞)

• This amount of work is done by the field, the potential energy of the charge-field
system is changed by an amount 𝑑𝑈 = - 𝑞0𝑬. 𝑑𝒔

• For a finite displacement of the charge from point A to point B, the change in
potential energy of the system ∆𝑈 = 𝑈𝐵 − 𝑈𝐴 is
𝐵
∆𝑈 = −𝑞0 න 𝑬. 𝑑𝒔
𝐴
• The force 𝑞0𝑬 is conservative, this line integral does not depend on the path
taken from A to B.
• The change in the electric potential energy, ∆𝑃𝐸, of a system consisting
of an object of charge 𝑞 moving through a displacement ∆𝑥 in a constant
electric field is given by
∆𝑃𝐸 = −𝑊𝐴𝐵 = −𝑞𝐸𝑥∆𝑥 (2.4)
where 𝐸𝑥 is the x-component of the electric field and ∆𝑥 = 𝑥𝑓 − 𝑥𝑖 is the
displacement of the charge along the x-axis.

• Equation 2.4 can only be used in a case of uniform electric field (i.e.
constant electric field) for a particle that undergoes a displacement along
a given axis.
• Example 2.1 (Serway college Phy, 7ed pg 534 example 16.1)
Example 2.2
A proton is placed in an electric field of E=105 V/m and released. After
going 10 cm, what is its speed?

Use conservation of E = 105 V/m 2qEd

energy. v=
d = 10 cm m
a b
+
V = Vb – Va = -Ed 2 1.6 10 −19 C 105 Vm 1m
v=
1.67 10 −23 kg
U = q V

U + K = 0 K = (1/2)mv2
v = 1.4 106 m
s
K = -U

(1/2)mv2 = -q V = +qEd
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL AND POTENTIAL ENERGY DUE TO POINT
CHARGES
• The electric potential created by a point charge 𝑞 at any distance 𝑟 from
the charge is given by

𝑞
𝑉= 𝑘𝑒 = Ed
𝑟
• The electric potential of two or more charges is obtained by applying
the superposition principle: the total electric potential at some point P
due to several point charges is the algebraic sum of the electric potentials
due to the individual charges.

• NOTE: 𝑉 is a scalar, not a vector

𝑉 is positive for positive charges, negative for negative charges.
𝑟 is always positive.
• For many point charges, the potential at a point in space is the sum

𝑞𝑖
𝑉= σ𝑘
𝑟𝑖

Figure 2.2

𝑞1 𝑞2 𝑞3 𝑞𝑛
𝑉 = 𝑘( + + + ⋯ + )
𝑟1 𝑟2 𝑟3 𝑟𝑛
• In a uniform electric field, electric potential and electric potential energy
are related. If 𝑉1 is the electric potential due to charge 𝑞1 at a point 𝑃,
then the work required to bring charge 𝑞2 from infinity to 𝑃 without
acceleration is 𝑞2𝑉1.

• By definition, this work equals the potential energy 𝑃𝐸 of the two-particle

system when the particles are separated by a distance 𝑟

• Then the electric potential energy of the pair of charges can be expressed
as
𝑞1𝑞2
𝑃𝐸 = 𝑞2𝑉1 = 𝑘𝑒
𝑟

• If the charges are of the same sign, 𝑃𝐸 is positive.

Tips for solving Electric Potential problems
1. Draw a diagram of all charges, and circle the point of interest.
2. Calculate the distance from each charge to the point of interest,
labelling it on the diagram.
𝑘𝑒 𝑞
3. For each charge q, calculate the scalar quantity 𝑉 =
𝑟
. The sign of
each charge must be included in your calculations!
4. Sum all the numbers found in the previous step, obtaining the electric
potential at the point of interest.

Example 2.3 (Example 16.4, R. Serway College Phy 7ed, pg 540)

EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACES
• By definition, equipotential surface is a surface on which all points are at
the same potential.
• The potential difference between any two points on an equipotential
surface is zero.
• No work is required to move a charge at constant speed on an
equipotential surface.
• The electric field at every point of an equipotential surface is
perpendicular to the surface.
• Equipotential surfaces can be represented on a diagram by drawing
equipotential contours.
• These equipotential contours are generally referred to simply as
equipotentials.
 (a) (b)

Figure 2.3

• Figure 2.1 a shows the equipotentials (in blue) associated with a positive point
charge. Note that the equipotentials are perpendicular to the electric field lines
(in brown) at all points.
• Figure 2.1 b shows the equipotentials associated with two charges of equal
magnitude but opposite sign.
SUMMARY
Electric potential energy
• The electric force caused by any collection of charges at rest is a
conservative force.
• The work 𝑊 done by the electric force on a charged particle moving in
an electric field can be represented by the change in a potential-energy
function 𝑈.
• The electric potential energy for two point charges 𝑞 and 𝑞0 depends on
their separation 𝑟
• The electric potential energy for a charge 𝑞0 in the presence of a
collection of charges 𝑞1 ,𝑞2, and 𝑞3 depends on the distance from 𝑞0 to
each of these other charges.
𝑊𝑎→𝑏 = 𝑈𝑎 − 𝑈𝑏

𝑞𝑞0
𝑈 = 𝑘𝑒
𝑟
(two point charges)

𝑞0𝑞1 𝑞0𝑞2 𝑞0𝑞3

𝑈 = 𝑘𝑒 ( + + + ⋯)
𝑟1 𝑟2 𝑟3

𝑞1 𝑞2 𝑞3
= 𝑘𝑒 𝑞0 ( + + +⋯ )
𝑟1 𝑟2 𝑟3

𝑞𝑖
= 𝑘𝑒 𝑞0 σ𝑖
𝑟𝑖
(𝑞0 in presence of other point charges)
Figure 2.4
Electric potential:
• Potential, denoted by 𝑉, is potential energy per unit charge.
• The potential difference between two points equals the amount of work that
would be required to move a unit positive test charge between those points.

𝑈 𝑞
𝑉= = 𝑘𝑒 (due to a point charge)
𝑞0 𝑟

• The potential 𝑉 due to a quantity of charge can be calculated by summing (if

the charge is a collection of point charges) or by integrating (if the charge is a
distribution).

𝑈 𝑞𝑖
𝑉= = 𝑘𝑒 σ𝑖 (due to a collection of point charges
𝑞0 𝑟𝑖

𝑑𝑞
𝑉= 𝑘𝑒 ‫׬‬ (due to a charge distribution)
𝑟
 Figure 2.5
• The potential difference between two points 𝑎 and 𝑏, also called the potential of 𝑎
with respect to 𝑏, is given by the line integral of 𝑬 .
• The potential at a given point can be found by first finding 𝑬 and then carrying out
this integral.
𝑏
𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏 = න 𝑬 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ
𝑎

𝑏
= න 𝐸 𝑐𝑜𝑠∅ 𝑑𝑙
𝑎
Equipotential surfaces:
• An equipotential surface is a surface on which the potential has the same value at
every point. At a point where a field line crosses an equipotential surface, the two
are perpendicular.
• When all charges are at rest, the surface of a conductor is always an equipotential
surface and all points in the interior of a conductor are at the same potential.
• When a cavity within a conductor contains no charge, the entire cavity is an
equipotential region and there is no surface charge anywhere on the surface of the
cavity