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Resource 20250516181539 Potential Notes 1

The document explains potential energy, specifically gravitational and electrical potential energy, detailing how work done against forces is stored. It defines electrostatic potential difference and potential, emphasizing their scalar nature and units. Additionally, it introduces concepts related to point charges and electric dipoles, including the calculation of potential due to these charges.

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18 views5 pages

Resource 20250516181539 Potential Notes 1

The document explains potential energy, specifically gravitational and electrical potential energy, detailing how work done against forces is stored. It defines electrostatic potential difference and potential, emphasizing their scalar nature and units. Additionally, it introduces concepts related to point charges and electric dipoles, including the calculation of potential due to these charges.

Uploaded by

rashmimr561
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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POTENTIAL ENERGY:-

When an external force does work in taking a body from a point to another against a force like spring
force or gravitational force, that work stored in the form of potential energy of the body.

Gravitational Field:- The space around an mass where another mass experience a force of attraction.
The work done stored in this field is called as Gravitational Potential energy. The gravitational P.E.
depends on the height of a mass above the earth surface.

Electric Field:- The space around an charge where another charge experience a force of
attraction/repulsion .The work done stored in this field is called as Electrical Potential energy.
The electrical P.E. depends on the position of charged particle in the electric field.

ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL ENERGY:-


Potential energy of charge q at a point (in the presence of field due to any charge configuration) is the
work done by the external force in bringing the charge q from infinity to that point.
The external force is equal and opposite to the electric force (i.e, Fext= –FE).

Explaination:
Consider the field E due to a charge Q placed at the origin. Now, imagine that we bring a test charge q
from a point R to a point P against the repulsive force on it due to the charge Q as shown in
figure.(where Q, q > 0). Bringing the charge q from R to P, we apply an external force Fext just enough
to counter the repulsive electric force FE i.e, Fext= –FE).

If the external force is removed on reaching P, the electric force will take the charge away from Q this
happen due to stored energy (potential energy) at P is used to provide kinetic energy to the charge q.
Thus, work done by external forces in moving a charge q from R to P is,

This work done is against electrostatic repulsive force and gets stored as potential energy.
Some important feature of electric potential energy are:
1. It is a scalar quantity measured in Joule.
2. The work done by an electrostatic field in moving a charge from one point to another depends only
on the initial and the final points and is independent of the path taken to go from one point to the
other.
3. Electric potential energy difference between two points as the work required to be done by an
external force in moving (without accelerating) charge q from one point to another for electric field of
any arbitrary charge configuration.

i.e ∇𝑈=𝑈𝑃−𝑈𝑅=𝑊𝑅𝑃
Electrostatic Potential Difference The electrostatic potential difference between two points in
an electric field is defined as the amount of work done in moving a unit positive test charge from one
point to the other point against of electrostatic force without any acceleration (i.e. the difference of
electrostatic potentials of the two points in the electric field).

One volt (Define unit of potential)


The potential difference between two points is said to be 1 volt if 1 joule of work is done in
moving a positive charge of 1 coulomb from one point to the other against the electrostatic
force.

ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL (V):


The electrostatic potential at any point in an electric field is equal to the amount of work done in
bringing the unit positive test charge from infinite to that point, against the electrostatic force without
acceleration.

Electric potential is scalar quantity. SI Unit is Volt(V)

NOTE:
As, work done on a test charge by the electrostatic field is independent of the path.
For the diagram given as below, potential difference between points A and B will be same for any path.

The potential at a point due to a positive charge is positive while due to negative charge, it is negative

POTENTIAL DUE TO A POINT CHARGE:

Consider a positive point charge 'Q' placed at origin. Let a point 'P' is located at distance r from the
origin where electrical potential is to be calculated. To do this we must bring a unit positive test
charge from infinity to that point .

Consider any arbitrary points A and B separated by small distance 'dx'. When a unit positive charge
brought at 'A' from infinity then repulsive force on positive test charge is given by Coulombs law,

=
The work done in moving a unit positive charge from A to B through a small displacement is given by

= ⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

work done (W) by the external force is obtained by integrating the above equation between
the limit x=∞ and x=r

= −∫

= −∫

=− ∫

[ ]

[ ]

[ ]

[ ]
POTENTIAL DUE TO AN ELECTRIC DIPOLE
Electric Dipole: An electric dipole consists of two charges q and –q separated by a (small) distance 2a.
Its total charge is zero.

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