Chapter two

2. Electric potential
2.1. Electric potential Energy
➢ When a test charge 𝑞𝑜 is placed in an electric field E created by some source charge
distribution, the electric force acting on the test charge is 𝑞𝑜 𝐸
➢ When a charged particle moves in an electric field, the field exerts a force that can
do work on the particle.
➢ The work done by the field on the charge is equal to the negative of the work done
by the external agent causing the displacement
➢ The work can be expressed in terms of electric potential energy.

∆𝑈 = −𝑊
d𝑈 = −𝐹. 𝑑𝑠
𝑏
∆𝑈 = −𝑞𝑜 ‫𝐸 𝑎׬‬. 𝑑𝑠 , 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝐹 = 𝑞𝑜 𝐸
where U is potential energy
Example
Figure below shows three point charges held in fixed positions by forces that are not
shown. What is the electric potential energy U of this system of charges? Assume
that d =12 cm and that
𝑞1 = 𝑞, 𝑞2 = −4𝑞𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑞3 = +2𝑞 in which q = 150 nC.
𝑞1 𝑞2 𝑞(−4𝑞)
Solution 𝑈12 = = ,
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑑 4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑑
𝑞2 𝑞3 −4𝑞(2𝑞)
𝑈23 = = and
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑑 4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑑
𝑞 𝑞 2𝑞(−𝑞)
𝑈31 = 3 1 =
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑑 4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑑
−6𝑞2 9 2 −2 (150×109 )2
𝑈 = 𝑈12 + 𝑈23 + 𝑈31 = = −8.99 × 10 𝑁𝑚 𝐶 (10)
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑑 0.12𝑚
𝑈 = 1.7 × 10−2 𝐽
2.2. Electric potential difference

➢The potential energy per unit charge 𝑈Τ𝑞𝑜 is independent of the value of 𝑞𝑜 and
has a value at every point in an electric field.
➢This quantity 𝑈Τ𝑞𝑜 is called the electric potential
𝑈
𝑉=
𝑞𝑜
𝑞 𝑞𝑞𝑜
𝑉= since U=
4𝜋𝜀𝑜𝑟 4𝜋𝜀𝑜𝑟
Electric potential is a scalar characteristic of an electric field,
Cont..
➢The potential difference ∆𝑉 = 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐴
between two points A and B in an electric
field is defined as the change in potential
energy of the system when a test charge is
moved between the points divided by the
test charge 𝑞𝑜
∆U B
V≡ = − ‫׬‬A E. dl
qo
➢The negative sign indicates that the electric
potential at point B is lower than at point A; that is, 𝑉𝐵 < 𝑉𝐴 .
➢ Electric field lines always point in the direction of decreasing electric
potential
Cont..
Examples
1. For an example of this, suppose we place a test particle of positive charge
1.60 × 10−19 𝐶 at a point in an electric field where the particle has an electric
potential energy of 2.40 × 10−17 𝐽. what is the potential?
𝑈
Solution 𝑉=
𝑞𝑜
2.40×10−17
V= = 150𝐽𝐶 −1
1.60×10−19 𝐶
1. The work done by the electric force as the test
charge (+2.0 × 10−6 𝐶 ) moves from A to B
is +5.0 × 10−5 𝐽 .
a. Find the difference in EPE between these points.
b. Determine the potential difference between these
points.
Electric potential due to point
➢To find the electric potential at a point located a distance r from the charge, we begin with
the general expression for potential difference:
∞
𝑉𝑓 − 𝑉𝑖 = ‫𝐸 𝑅׬‬. 𝑑𝑠
∞
−𝑉𝑖 = ‫𝐸 𝑅׬‬. 𝑑𝑠
𝑞 ∞ 𝑑𝑟 1 𝑞
−𝑉𝑖 = ‫׬‬ since 𝐸 =
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑅 𝑟 2 4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 2
𝑞 1 ∞
−𝑉 =
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 𝑅
𝑞 1 1
−𝑉 = −
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 ∞ 𝑅
Electric potential due to point charge is
1 𝑞
𝑉=
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟
1 𝑞
Electric potential due to group point charges is 𝑉 = σ𝑛𝑖 𝑉𝑖 = σ𝑛𝑖 𝑖
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟𝑖
Example
What is the electric potential at point P, located at the center of the square of
point charges shown in figure below? The distance d is 1.3 m, and the charges
are 𝑞1 = 12𝑛𝐶, 𝑞2 = −24𝑛𝐶 𝑞3 = 31𝑛𝐶 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑞4 = 17𝑛𝐶
𝑛 1 𝑛 𝑞𝑖
Solution 𝑉 = σ𝑖 𝑉𝑖 = σ𝑖
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟𝑖
1.3𝑚
𝑟 = 𝑑ൗ 2
= = 0.919𝑚
2
1 𝑞1 +𝑞2 +𝑞3 +𝑞4
and 𝑉=
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟
1 12+ −24 +31+17 𝑛𝐶
𝑉=
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟
9 2 −2 36×10−9 𝐶
𝑉= 8.99 × 10 𝑁𝑚 𝐶 ×
0.919𝑚
𝑉 = 352𝑉
2.3. Electric potential due to continuous charge
distribution
• When a charge distribution q is continuous (as on a uniformly charged thin rod or
disk)
1 𝑑𝑞
𝑑𝑣 =
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟
1 𝑑𝑞
𝑉 = න 𝑑𝑣 = න
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟
Line of charge
A thin nonconducting rod of length L has a positive charge of uniform linear density
λ. Let us determine the electric potential V due to the rod at point P, a perpendicular
distance d from the left end of the rod
Cont…
This element produces an electric potential dv at point P, which is a distance 𝑟 =
1
2 2
(𝑥 + 𝑑 )2 r " (x2 ) from the element
Cont…

• Treating the element as a point charges

𝐿
1 𝑑𝑞 λ 𝑑𝑥
𝑉 = න 𝑑𝑣 = න = න
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑟 4𝜋𝜀𝑜 (𝑥 2 + 𝑑 2 )1ൗ2
0
λ 1Τ
𝑉 = ln(𝑥 + (𝑥 + 𝑑 ) 2 )|𝐿0
2 2
4𝜋𝜀𝑜
λ 1Τ
= [ln(𝑥 + (𝑥 + 𝑑 ) 2 )]𝐿0
2 2
4𝜋𝜀𝑜
λ 1
= [ln(𝐿 + 𝐿2 + 𝑑 2 ) Τ2 − ln(𝑑)]
4𝜋𝜀𝑜
(𝐿+ 𝐿2 +𝑑 2 )1ൗ2
λ
V= ln[ ]
4𝜋𝜀𝑜 𝑑
Relations between electric field and potential

• The electric field E and the electric potential V are related by

𝑉 = − ‫𝐸 ׬‬. 𝑑𝑠
d𝑉 = −𝐸. 𝑑𝑠
If the electric field has only one component 𝐸𝑥 , then dV = −𝐸𝑥 𝑑𝑥 .
𝑑𝑉
𝐸𝑥 = −
𝑑𝑥
That is, the x component of the electric field is equal to the negative of the
derivative of the electric potential with respect to x.
Similar statements can be made about the y and z components.
𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝑉
𝐸𝑦 = − and 𝐸𝑧 = −
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑧
Equipotential surfaces

• The name equipotential surface is given to any surface consisting of a continuous

distribution of points having the same electric potential.
• Equipotential surfaces are always perpendicular to electric field lines.
• No work is done by the electric field on a charged particle while moving the
particle along an equipotential surface.