Otis Singleton
Electric potential, also known as electric field potential, potential drop, or electrostatic potential, is defined as the electric potential energy per unit of electric charge. In other words, it is the amount of work required to move a unit charge from a reference point to a specific point in a static electric field. Electric potential is measured in joules per coulomb, or volts, in the International System of Units (SI). The volt, named after Italian physicist Alessandro Volta, is the SI unit of electric potential.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Electric potential is the amount of work needed to move a unit charge from a reference point to a specific point against an electric field. |
| Formula | W = F′d = −qEd |
| Unit | The SI unit of electric potential is volt (V), named after the Italian nobleman turned physicist Alessandro Volta. |
| Calculation | Electric potential can be calculated by dividing the work done by the magnitude of charge. |
| Measurement | Differences in potential are measured with a voltmeter. |
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What You'll Learn
Electric potential is the electric potential energy per unit charge
Electric potential is defined as the electric potential energy per unit of electric charge. It is a scalar quantity denoted by V or occasionally φ. The electric potential at the reference point, usually the earth or a point at infinity, is defined as zero units.
The electric potential at any location, r, in a system of point charges is equal to the sum of the individual electric potentials due to every point charge in the system. This simplifies calculations because the addition of potential (scalar) fields is easier than the addition of electric (vector) fields. The potential of a set of discrete point charges at points ri is given by:
> {\displaystyle V_{\mathbf {E} }(\mathbf {r} )={\frac {1}{4\pi \varepsilon _{0}}}\sum _{i=1}^{n}{\frac {q_{i}}{|\mathbf {r} -\mathbf {r} _{i}|}}\,}
The electric potential energy of a system of point charges is defined as the work required to assemble this system of charges by bringing them close together. Alternatively, it can be defined as the total work done by an external agent in bringing the charge or the system of charges from infinity to the present configuration without undergoing any acceleration.
The SI unit of electric potential is the volt, named after the Italian nobleman and physicist Alessandro Volta. In the CGS system, the unit of energy is the erg, equal to 10^-7 Joules. The unit of electric potential energy is the joule, named after the English physicist James Prescott Joule. Electric potential is measured in joules per coulomb (J⋅C^-1) or volts (V). Differences in potential are measured with a voltmeter.
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The unit of electric potential is the volt
Electric potential, also known as electric field potential, potential drop, or electrostatic potential, is defined as electric potential energy per unit of electric charge. In other words, it is the amount of work needed to move a unit charge from a reference point to a specific point in a static electric field.
Electric potential can be calculated in either a static (time-invariant) or a dynamic (time-varying) electric field at a specific time. The value can be expressed in joules per coulomb (J⋅C−1) or volts (V). The electric potential at infinity is assumed to be zero.
Differences in electric potential can be measured using a voltmeter. The potential difference between two points can be calculated using the formula:
V_B − V_A = (U_B − U_A) / q
Where V_B and V_A are the electric potentials at points B and A, respectively, and U_B and U_A are the potential energies at points B and A.
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Volts can also be expressed as joules per coulomb
Electric potential is the amount of work needed to move a unit charge from a reference point to a specific point against an electric field. It is also known as electric field potential, potential drop, or electrostatic potential. Electric potential is defined as the electric potential energy per unit of electric charge. This value can be calculated in a static or dynamic electric field at a specific time using the unit joules per coulomb (J⋅C−1) or volt (V).
The volt is defined as a joule per coulomb. It is the unit of electric potential, which is defined as the potential energy per unit charge. In other words, the voltage difference between two points or terminals is the work required in joules to move one coulomb of charge from point A to point B. Therefore, voltage can be expressed as:
$$
V = \frac{J}{C}
$$
Where:
- $V$ is the voltage in Volts
- $J$ is the work or energy in Joules
- $C$ is the charge in Coulombs
Thus, if $J = 1$ joule and $C = 1$ coulomb, then $V$ will equal $1$ volt.
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The volt is named after Alessandro Volta
The volt, the SI unit of electric potential, is named after Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta, an Italian chemist and physicist born in Como, Italy, on February 18, 1745. He is credited with pioneering electricity and power and is known for inventing the electric battery and discovering methane.
In 1792, Volta began experimenting with metals, detecting the weak flow of electricity between disks of different metals by placing them on his tongue. He also studied what is now known as electrical capacitance, developing separate means to study electrical potential difference and charge. He discovered that for a given object, they are proportional, and this became known as Volta's Law of Capacitance.
In 1799, Volta invented the voltaic pile, the first electric battery, which provided the first source of continuous current. This invention sparked scientific excitement and led to the development of the field of electrochemistry. In 1800, Volta announced his invention to the Royal Society, and his work in this field led to him being honoured by Napoleon Bonaparte, who invited him to demonstrate his invention to the members of the Institute of France. Napoleon made Volta a count and a senator of the kingdom of Lombardy.
After nearly 40 years as a professor of experimental physics at the University of Pavia, Volta retired in 1819 to his estate in Camnago, Italy, now named "Camnago Volta" in his honour. He passed away on March 5, 1827, and his legacy is celebrated at the Tempio Voltiano memorial and a museum that exhibits some of his equipment.
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Electric potential is also known as electric field potential
Electric potential, also known as electric field potential, is defined as electric potential energy per unit of electric charge. In other words, it is the amount of work required to move a test charge from a reference point to a specific point in a static electric field. The test charge used is small enough that its disturbance to the field is unnoticeable, and its motion across the field is supposed to occur with negligible acceleration to prevent the test charge from gaining kinetic energy or emitting radiation.
The electric potential at the reference point is defined as zero units, with the reference point typically being the earth or a point at infinity, although any point can be chosen. The electric potential due to an idealized point charge is proportional to 1/r, where r is the distance from the point charge.
The electric potential generated by a set of charges distributed in space is the scalar sum of the potentials generated by each charge in isolation. This is because electric fields are superposable, meaning that the electric field generated by a set of charges is the vector sum of the electric fields produced by each charge individually.
The electric potential is related to the electric field, which is the negative space derivative of the electric potential. The electric field is directed from higher potential to lower potential, and the direction is taken as negative. The electric potential at any location in a system of point charges is the sum of the individual electric potentials due to each point charge in the system.
The unit of electric potential in the International System of Units (SI) is the volt (V), which is equivalent to joules per coulomb (J/C). Differences in electric potential are measured using a voltmeter.
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Frequently asked questions
Electric potential is the amount of work needed to move a unit charge from a reference point to a specific point against an electric field.
The unit of electric potential is the volt (V), named after the Italian nobleman and physicist Alessandro Volta.
The unit of electric potential is calculated by dividing the work done by the magnitude of the charge.
The SI unit of electric potential is the volt.
