Potential Difference in a Uniform Field: Difference between revisions
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===A Mathematical Model=== | ===A Mathematical Model=== | ||
Electric potential = <math> | Change in Electric potential = <math>dV = \frac{dU}{q} </math> where V is electric potential, U is electric potential energy, and q is unit charge. | ||
===A Computational Model=== | ===A Computational Model=== | ||
Revision as of 14:43, 21 November 2015
By: dachtani3
Electric potential is a scalar quantity that is used to describe the change in electric potential energy per unit charge. This page will elaborate on the change in electric potential in a uniform field.
The Main Idea
The main idea for electric potential is that it is the amount of electric potential energy change per unit charge in an area. You can calculate this amount for both uniform and non-uniform electric fields. The unit for electric potential is a volt, or Joule/ coulomb.
A Mathematical Model
Change in Electric potential = [math]\displaystyle{ dV = \frac{dU}{q} }[/math] where V is electric potential, U is electric potential energy, and q is unit charge.
A Computational Model
How do we visualize or predict using this topic. Consider embedding some vpython code here Teach hands-on with GlowScript
Examples
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Simple
Middling
Difficult
Connectedness
- How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in?
- How is it connected to your major?
- Is there an interesting industrial application?
History
Alessandro Volta, and Italian physicist, contributed many ideas and inventions to the field of electricity. He invented the first electric battery, the first electromotive series, and most notably, the idea of electric potential and its unit, the volt.
Volta was born in 1745, and he spent most of his childhood experimenting with electricity in his friend's physics lab. When he was 18, he started communicating with physicists, Jean-Antonie Nollet and Giambatista Beccaria, who encouraged him to continue with his experiments.
In 1775, Volta began teaching physics. He soon was able to isolate methane gas, which he discovered could produce electric sparks. In 1776, Volta put the two ideas together to conclude that he could send electric signals across Italy with the sparking machine.
In 1778, Volta discovered electric potential, or voltage. He realized that the electric potential in a capacitor is directly proportional to the electric charge in that capacitor.
Put this idea in historical context. Give the reader the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.
See also
Are there related topics or categories in this wiki resource for the curious reader to explore? How does this topic fit into that context?
Further reading
Books, Articles or other print media on this topic
External links
Internet resources on this topic
This a a good video that walks through examples on potential difference in a uniform field: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF3VAjcjvOA
This video on electric potential energy gives a good background on solving problems before learning specifically about electric potential: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/electric-charge-electric-force-and-voltage/electric-potential-voltage/v/electric-potential-energy
References
This section contains the the references you used while writing this page
-http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-electric-potential-definition-formula-quiz.html -http://www.famousscientists.org/alessandro-volta/ -Matter & Interactions: Electric and Magnetic Interactions textbook