19.1 Electric Potential Energy: Potential Difference
2 min read•june 18, 2024
and are key concepts in understanding how charges interact in electric fields. These quantities help us analyze the energy stored in electrical systems and the required to move charges.
Practical applications of these concepts are found in batteries, capacitors, and particle accelerators. The unit is particularly useful for describing energy in atomic and subatomic processes, connecting the microscopic world to everyday electrical phenomena.
Electric Potential and Electric Potential Energy
Electric potential vs potential energy
Top images from around the web for Electric potential vs potential energy
Electric Potential – Physics 132: What is an Electron? What is Light? View original
Is this image relevant?
Electric Potential Energy: Potential Difference | Physics View original
Is this image relevant?
Electric Potential Energy: Potential Difference | Physics View original
Is this image relevant?
Electric Potential – Physics 132: What is an Electron? What is Light? View original
Is this image relevant?
Electric Potential Energy: Potential Difference | Physics View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 3
Top images from around the web for Electric potential vs potential energy
Electric Potential – Physics 132: What is an Electron? What is Light? View original
Is this image relevant?
Electric Potential Energy: Potential Difference | Physics View original
Is this image relevant?
Electric Potential Energy: Potential Difference | Physics View original
Is this image relevant?
Electric Potential – Physics 132: What is an Electron? What is Light? View original
Is this image relevant?
Electric Potential Energy: Potential Difference | Physics View original
Is this image relevant?
1 of 3
- () scalar quantity measured in volts (V) represents the between two points in an measures the work required to move a positive test charge from one point to another
- Electric potential energy scalar quantity measured in joules (J) energy stored in a system due to the configuration of charges depends on the electric and the charge quantity
Potential difference and energy relationship
- Relationship:
- : Change in electric potential energy (J)
- : Charge quantity (C)
- : Potential difference (V)
- Practical scenarios
- Batteries provide a potential difference that can power devices (flashlights) higher batteries can provide more energy to a given charge
- Capacitors store electric potential energy in an electric field between two conducting plates (electronic circuits) potential difference across the plates determines the stored energy
- Equipotential surfaces are regions where the electric potential is constant, and no work is done when moving charges along these surfaces
Electron volt in atomic processes
- () unit of energy equal to the work done to move an electron through a potential difference of 1 conversion: 1 eV =
- Applications in atomic and subatomic processes
- Measuring binding energies of electrons in atoms different energy levels correspond to specific electron volt values (hydrogen atom)
- Describing the energy of photons can be expressed in electron volts (X-rays)
- Characterizing particle accelerators accelerator energies are often expressed in mega-electron volts () or giga-electron volts () (Large Hadron Collider)
Calculations with potential difference
- Formula:
- : Change in electric potential energy (J)
- : Charge quantity (C)
- : Potential difference (V)
- Steps to solve problems
- Identify the given quantities (charge and potential difference)
- Determine the unknown quantity (change in electric potential energy)
- Substitute the known values into the formula
- Perform the calculation and report the result with appropriate units
Energy and Work in Electric Fields
- Electric fields are created by electric charges and exert forces on other charges
- Work done by the when moving a charge in an electric field changes the charge's electric potential energy
- The principle of applies to the conversion between kinetic and potential energy in electric fields
Key Terms to Review (38)
$
abla PE = q
abla V$: $
abla PE = q
abla V$ is the formula that describes the change in electric potential energy of a charged particle as it moves through an electric potential difference. It represents the work done by an external force in moving a charged particle between two points with different electric potentials.
$
abla V$: $
abla V$ represents the potential difference, or the change in electric potential, between two points in an electric field. It is a fundamental concept in the study of electric potential energy and the behavior of charged particles within an electric field.
$
Delta PE$: $
Delta PE$ represents the change in potential energy, which is the energy an object possesses due to its position or state within a force field. This concept is particularly important in the context of electric potential energy and the potential difference between two points in an electric field.
$1.602 \times 10^{-19}$ J: $1.602 \times 10^{-19}$ J is the fundamental unit of electric charge, known as the elementary charge. It is the amount of electric charge carried by a single electron and is a crucial constant in the study of electromagnetism and quantum mechanics.
$E = hf$: $E = hf$ is a fundamental equation in quantum mechanics that describes the relationship between the energy (E) of a photon and its frequency (f). This equation, known as the Planck-Einstein relation, is a crucial concept in understanding the nature of light and the behavior of subatomic particles.
$Q$: $Q$ is a fundamental quantity that represents the flow or movement of a conserved property, such as mass, energy, or electric charge. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction, and is essential in understanding the behavior of various physical systems and phenomena.
Battery: A battery is a device that stores chemical energy and converts it into electrical energy, providing a source of power for various electrical devices and circuits. It is a fundamental component in the understanding of topics such as electric potential energy, Ohm's law, resistors in series and parallel, and electromotive force.
Binding energy: Binding energy is the energy required to disassemble a nucleus into its component protons and neutrons. It is a measure of the stability of a nucleus and is equivalent to the mass defect of the nucleus.
Binding Energy: Binding energy is the amount of energy required to separate a nucleus into its individual protons and neutrons. It represents the strong nuclear force that holds the nucleus together, and it is a crucial concept in understanding nuclear stability, radioactive decay, and nuclear reactions such as fusion and fission.
Capacitor: A capacitor is an electrical component that stores energy in the form of an electric field, created by a pair of conductors separated by an insulating material. The ability to store charge is measured in farads (F).
Capacitor: A capacitor is a passive electronic component that stores electrical energy in an electric field. It consists of two conductors separated by an insulator, and it is used in various electronic circuits and devices to store and release electrical charge.
Conservation of Energy: Conservation of energy is a fundamental principle in physics that states the total energy of an isolated system remains constant, it is said to be conserved over time. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; rather, it can only be transformed or transferred from one form to another.
Electric Field: The electric field is a vector field that describes the force experienced by a stationary, positive test charge at any given point in space. It represents the strength and direction of the electric force exerted on a charged particle by other charges in the vicinity, and is a fundamental concept in the study of electromagnetism and the behavior of charged particles.
Electric potential: Electric potential is the amount of electric potential energy per unit charge at a point in an electric field. It is measured in volts (V).
Electric Potential: Electric potential is the amount of work required to move a unit positive charge from an infinite distance to a specific point in an electric field. It represents the potential energy per unit charge at a given location and is a scalar quantity, meaning it has magnitude but no direction.
Electric Potential Energy: Electric potential energy is the potential energy possessed by an electric charge due to its position in an electric field. It represents the work required to move a charge from an infinite distance to a specific point in the electric field.
Electron volt: An electron volt (eV) is a unit of energy equal to the amount of kinetic energy gained or lost by an electron when it moves through an electric potential difference of one volt. It is commonly used in atomic and particle physics.
Electron Volt: The electron volt (eV) is a unit of energy used in atomic and nuclear physics to measure the energy gained by a single electron when it is accelerated through a potential difference of one volt. It is a fundamental unit that connects the concepts of electric potential, energy, and the behavior of charged particles in various physics contexts.
Electrostatic force: Electrostatic force is the force of attraction or repulsion between two charged objects. It operates according to Coulomb's Law, which quantifies the magnitude of this force.
Electrostatic Force: Electrostatic force is the attractive or repulsive force that exists between electrically charged particles or objects. It is a fundamental force in nature that governs the behavior of static electricity and the interactions between charged entities.
Equipotential Surface: An equipotential surface is a surface in an electric field where the electric potential is constant. In other words, all points on an equipotential surface have the same electric potential value.
EV: The electron volt (eV) is a unit of energy commonly used in physics to measure the energy gained or lost by a single electron as it passes through an electric potential difference of one volt. It is a fundamental unit that relates the concepts of electric potential energy and potential difference.
GeV: GeV, or gigaelectronvolt, is a unit of energy used in particle physics and high-energy physics. It represents the amount of energy an electron would gain by being accelerated through a potential difference of one billion volts. This unit is particularly relevant in the context of electric potential energy and potential difference, as it provides a way to quantify and compare the energies involved in these processes at the subatomic level.
Giga-electron Volt: The giga-electron volt (GeV) is a unit of energy used in particle physics and high-energy physics. It represents an extremely large amount of energy, specifically one billion (10^9) electron volts. This unit is commonly used to describe the energy of subatomic particles and the energy levels involved in various high-energy phenomena and experiments.
Joule: A joule is the SI unit of work or energy, equivalent to one newton-meter. It measures the amount of work done when a force of one newton displaces an object by one meter in the direction of the force.
Joule: The joule (J) is the standard unit of energy in the International System of Units (SI). It represents the amount of work done or energy expended when a force of one newton acts through a distance of one meter. The joule is a fundamental unit that connects various topics in physics, from work and energy to thermodynamics and electricity.
Law of conservation of energy: The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. The total energy in an isolated system remains constant over time.
Mechanical energy: Mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy in an object that is used to do work. It is conserved in a system where only conservative forces are acting.
Mega-electron Volt: A mega-electron volt (MeV) is a unit of energy used in particle physics and nuclear physics, equivalent to one million electron volts. It is a measure of the kinetic energy of a particle or the energy released in a nuclear reaction.
MeV: MeV, or Mega Electron Volt, is a unit of energy commonly used in the context of atomic and nuclear physics. It represents the amount of energy gained by an electron when it is accelerated through a potential difference of one million volts. This unit is particularly relevant in understanding the behavior of charged particles and the energy released or absorbed during nuclear processes.
Photon Energy: Photon energy is the amount of energy carried by a single photon, the fundamental particle of light. It is a crucial concept in the understanding of the wave-particle duality of light and its interactions with matter, particularly in the context of electric potential energy and potential difference.
Potential difference: Potential difference is the work done to move a unit charge between two points in an electric field. It is measured in volts (V) and often referred to as voltage.
Potential Difference: Potential difference, also known as voltage, is the measure of the work required to move an electric charge between two points in an electric field. It represents the difference in electric potential energy between two locations, and is a fundamental concept in understanding the behavior of electric circuits and the flow of electric current.
Useful work: Useful work is the component of work that results in a desired outcome or effective energy transfer. It excludes any energy dissipated as waste, such as heat.
Volt: A volt is the unit of electric potential difference, which measures the amount of electric potential energy per unit charge between two points in an electric circuit. It helps us understand how much energy is available to move electric charges through a conductor, connecting it to concepts like power, energy storage, and circuit behavior.
Voltage: Voltage, also known as electric potential difference, is the measure of potential energy between two points in an electric field. It is measured in volts (V) and drives electric current through a circuit.
Voltage: Voltage, also known as potential difference, is the electrical potential energy difference between two points in an electrical circuit. It is the driving force that causes the flow of electric current, and it is measured in units of volts (V).
Work: Work is a measure of the energy transferred by a force acting on an object as it is displaced. It is the product of the force applied and the distance moved in the direction of the force. Work is a fundamental concept in physics that is central to understanding energy, power, and the laws of motion.