Electric Potential

Electric Potential is the potential energy associated with interacting charged particles that create electric fields and impact each other through these fields. Electric potential is found by travleing across a path through a uniform or nonuniform electric field.

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Review of Potential Energy

--editing in progressrmohammed7 (talk) 17:18, 25 October 2015 (EDT) Short Description of Topic

Potential energy can be thought of as the energy that is stored within a system that will soon be utilized for some other action. It is the opposite of kinetic energy, which is the energy associated with something in motion. For studying electric potential of charged particles, we first need to understand that sigle particles themselves dont really have potential energy. When we analyze a system for electric potential, we need to choose a a system containing one or more objects/particle/etc.. The potential energy will be derived from the interactions between the objects within our system. On the other hand, kineic energy will be related to the work done by the surroundings of the system.This value can be changed if the work done is positive or negative. Therefore, the change in kineic energy of our system must be equal to the work done by the surroundings. Work can be derived by calculating the dot product of the force and displacement. Potential energy is asscociated with the internal work of the system, that is, work that is done by objects counted within the system. Therefore, the potential energy change of a system is equal to the negative interior work. Now, to put all this together, we have the conservation of energy rule. This states that energy cannot be created or destroyed between events of interacting objects. That is why delta K plus delta U must be zero.

The Main Idea

When calculating the changes in potential energy of a system, it would be useful to find a quantity that is unique from the charge of out particle. After finding this variable, we can multiply it by the charge to get or delta U. Regardelss of whether our particle is a proton or electron, our change in potential energy formula boils down to (some charge)*(-Ex*deltaX). The part that is the same in both cases is the Ex times deltaX. This is called the difference of electric potential between 2 locations. This value is usually notated as DeltaV, with units of volts.

A Mathematical Model

Finding Potential Differences in Uniform Fields. DeltaV = -Efield (dot product) deltaL Remember that dot product of 2 vetors = (magnitude of vector1)*(magnitude of vector 2)*cos(angle between them)

How to determine the sign of potential difference: If your path that you are considering goes in the same direction as the electric field, the sign will be negative (-) If your path goes in the opposite direction of the electric field, the sign will be positive. (+) If the path is perpendicular to the electric field, it will be zero.

Finding deltaV in nonuniform Fields: DeltaV = -integral from (initial position to final position) of [Efield dot product deltaL]

Some Key Points - In a conductor we know that the electric field is zero. Therefore, the potential difference is zero as well(since it is constant everywhere). - The potential difference between 2 locations does not depend on the path taken between the locations. - Round Trip Potential Difference is always zero, If you start your path from a certain points and end your path at the same point, deltaV will be zero. - In an insultor, the electric field is (Eapplied/K)m where K is a dielectric constant.Therefore, DeltaV = (deltaV inside vaccum)/K

A Computational Model

Watch this video for a more visual approach [1]

Examples

Be sure to show all steps in your solution and include diagrams whenever possible

Simple

Middling

A proton is located at the origin. Location C is 1e-10 m away from the proton, and location D is 2e-8 m from the proton, along a straight line radially outward. First, find the potential difference from C to D. Then find how much work would be required to move an electron from location C to D.

Connectedness

1. How is this topic connected to something that you are interested in?

I am interested in robotic systems and building circuit boards/ electrical systems for manufacturing robots. While studying this section in the book, I was able to connect back many of the concepts and calculations back to robotics and electrical component of autmated systems.

1. How is it connected to your major?

I am a Mechanical Engineering major, so I will be dealing with electrical components of machines when I work. Therefore, I have to know these certain concepts such as electric potential in order to fully understand how they work and interact.

1. Is there an interesting industrial application?

Electrical Potential is used to find the voltage across a path. This is useful when working with circuit comppnents and attempting to manupulate the power output or current throught a component.

History

The idea of electric potential kind of started with Ben Franklin and his experiments in the 1740s. He began to understand the flow of electricity, which eventually paved the path towards explaining electric potential and potential difference. Scientist finally began understading how electric fields were actually affecting the surrounding environment and other charges. Benjamin Franklin first shocked himself in 1746, while conducting experiments on electricity with found objects from around his house. Six years later 261 years ago, the founding father flew a kite attached to a key and a silk ribbon in a thunderstorm and effectively trapped lightning in a jar. The experiment is now seen as a watershed moment in mankind's venture to channel a force of nature so abstract.

By the time Franklin started experimenting with electricity, he'd already found fame and fortune as the author of Poor Richard's Almanack and was starting to get into science. Electricity wasn't a very well understood phenomenon at that point, though, so Franklin's research proved to be fairly foundational. The early experiments, experts believe, were inspired by other scientists' work and the shortcomings therein.

That early brush with the dangers of electricity left an impression on Franklin. He described the sensation as "a universal blow throughout my whole body from head to foot, which seemed within as well as without; after which the first thing I took notice of was a violent quick shaking of my body." However, it didn't scare him away. In the handful of years before his famous kite experiment, Franklin contributed everything from designing the first battery designs to establishing some common nomenclature in the study of electricity.

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

Here are some cool articles about the topic [2]

References

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