Potential vs Potential energy

[PhysicsTest]

TL;DR Summary

I want to know the difference between potential and potential energy in electrostatics

I want to know the difference between potential and potential energy. The potential is measured in volts and we provide potential ex 12V to a circuit. Some times we also say a potential energy to be applied to the electron ex. 1eV etc. I know eV is energy, but my question is do we need to provide Volts or electron volts (energy)? How do i differentiate when to apply what?

 

[PeroK]

Potential is potential energy per unit charge. In other words, if you multiply potential by charge you get potential energy.

 

[BvU]

Electric potential is in volts ( Joules/Coulomb )
Mechanical potenial energy is in Joules

Mechanical potential energy of a charge is in Joules / Coulomb * Coulomb
Electron charge is e ( 1.6 e^-19 Coulomb )
Mechanical potential energy of an electron is in Volts * e, aka eV

So far, no big deal.
It becomes interesting and useful in context, e.g. when mass and energy become equivalent with $E = mc^2$. And suddenly we don't speak of electron mass in kilograms but the equivalent 511 keV/c²

So

do we need to provide Volts or electron volts

is easy: Volts for potential, eV for energy, eV/c^{^2} for mass.
All three different dimensions !

The question 'do we need to provide Joules or eV' is not so easy: depends on the context ! (High energy physicists use eV, high school exercises often explicitly ask for Joules).

 

[PhysicsTest]

I understand some of them, but one particular question i want clarity is,
To move an electron from valence band to conduction band you need to give 1.1eV of energy. So, here do we provide energy to the electron of 1.1eV or provide 1.1V volt to the electron using battery? or both of them mean the same?

 

[PeroK]

I understand some of them, but one particular question i want clarity is,
To move an electron from valence band to conduction band you need to give 1.1eV of energy. So, here do we provide energy to the electron of 1.1eV or provide 1.1V volt to the electron using battery? or both of them mean the same?

One way to provide an electron with $1.1eV$ is to accelerate it through $1.1V$.