You should distinguish between Gravitational and Electric Potential. They are very distinct. ``Everything has 'some of each' but in the majority of circumstances that are commonly described, only one of them dominates. It's the Gravitational Potential that governs what planets do and it's the Electrical potential that describes the behaviour of electrons and ions in most circuits and old TV tubes. Life as a small flying insect involves both gravitational and electrical forces because the viscosity of the air is caused by electrical potential at a molecular level but, in still air and without flapping its wings, gravitational force will pull an insect down to the Earth (very slowly). You won't get asked questions about that situation at School level."When I look this up". Where are you looking?JoeyBob said:Summary:: When I look this up everything is talking about the effect an electric field has on potential.
Like an electric field is applying a sort of force on a particle. I was wondering if this at all impacts the potential energy of a particle. For instance, when the force of gravity does work on an object, its potential energy changes as a consequence. Would it be the same thing here?
Google... https://www.google.com/search?q=ele...69i60j69i61.7079j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8sophiecentaur said:You should distinguish between Gravitational and Electric Potential. They are very distinct. ``Everything has 'some of each' but in the majority of circumstances that are commonly described, only one of them dominates. It's the Gravitational Potential that governs what planets do and it's the Electrical potential that describes the behaviour of electrons and ions in most circuits and old TV tubes. Life as a small flying insect involves both gravitational and electrical forces because the viscosity of the air is caused by electrical potential at a molecular level but, in still air and without flapping its wings, gravitational force will pull an insect down to the Earth (very slowly). You won't get asked questions about that situation at School level."When I look this up". Where are you looking?
Electric potential energy is one type of potential energy. Similarly with gravitational potential energy, chemical potential energy, elastic potential energy, etc.JoeyBob said:But as you can see its talking about electric potential energy. Is this the same as potential energy
Did you read the first two lines of my post which you have just quoted? The word "potential```' refers to stored energy per unit of charge (or mass).JoeyBob said:But as you can see its talking about electric potential energy. Is this the same as potential energy?
Yes, the definition in terms of work is the same for all types of potential energy.JoeyBob said:So its change is the same as negative work?
An electric field is a region in which charged particles experience a force. It is created by electrically charged objects and can be either positive or negative.
An electric field can change the potential energy of a charged particle by exerting a force on it. If the particle is moving in the same direction as the electric field, its potential energy decreases. If the particle is moving in the opposite direction, its potential energy increases.
The strength of an electric field is influenced by the magnitude and distance of the charges creating the field. It also depends on the medium in which the charges are located, as different materials have different abilities to conduct electric fields.
The direction of an electric field can determine the direction of the force exerted on a charged particle, which in turn affects its potential energy. If the electric field and the particle are in the same direction, the potential energy decreases. If they are in opposite directions, the potential energy increases.
Yes, an electric field can change the total amount of potential energy in a system by changing the potential energy of individual charged particles. It can also change the distance between charges, which can affect the overall potential energy of the system.