Potential energy and electric potential

In summary, the electric potential is the amount of work done per unit charge to move a charge from the point A to B, while electric potential energy is the work done per unit charge to move a charged body from the point of zero potential to A in the same electric field.
  • #1
Fabio010
85
0
What is the difference between electric potential and electric potential energy?

How can i answer to that question in full correct way?

attempt:

While potential energy is associated with a conservative force that acts on a particle when it moves from A to B, the electric potential is the amount of work done per unit charge to move a chargefrom the point A to B , without changing the kinetic energy.
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
one is exerted by a conservative force, the other is exerted by a conservative force per unit charge.
 
  • #3
Fabio010 said:
What is the difference between electric potential and electric potential energy?

How can i answer to that question in full correct way?

attempt:

While potential energy is associated with a conservative force that acts on a particle when it moves from A to B, the electric potential is the amount of work done per unit charge to move a chargefrom the point A to B , without changing the kinetic energy.

What you said is the change of potential/ potential energy between points A and B.

The electric potential at point A is the work needed to move an unit positive charge from the point of zero potential to A. The electric potential energy of a charged body is the work needed to move a charged body (with charge q) from the point of zero potential to A, in the same electric field. What is the difference between the work in both cases?


ehild
 
  • #4
Fabio010 said:
one is exerted by a conservative force, the other is exerted by a conservative force per unit charge.

That conservative force is the force of the electric field on the charged body, how does it depend on the charge?

ehild
 
  • #5
In U we have ΔU = -W


but because ΔV is the work per unit charge, then

ΔV*q= -W
 
  • #6
Correct. So the potential energy of a charged body is equal to the potential at its place multiplied by the charge.

Potential is an attribute of the electric field. Potential energy is attributed to the charged body.

ehild
 

1. What is potential energy?

Potential energy is the energy that an object possesses due to its position or state. It is the energy that an object has the potential to convert into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy.

2. What is electric potential?

Electric potential is the potential energy per unit charge at a certain point in an electric field. It is a measure of the work done in moving a unit charge from one point to another in an electric field.

3. How is potential energy related to electric potential?

Potential energy and electric potential are directly related. As potential energy increases, electric potential also increases because more work is required to move a charge against the electric field. This relationship is described by the equation PE = qV, where PE is potential energy, q is the charge, and V is the electric potential.

4. Can potential energy and electric potential be negative?

Yes, both potential energy and electric potential can be negative. This occurs when the charge is moving in the opposite direction of the electric field. In this case, the work done by the electric field is negative, resulting in a negative potential energy and electric potential.

5. How is electric potential different from electric field?

Electric potential is a scalar quantity that describes the energy per unit charge at a certain point in an electric field. Electric field, on the other hand, is a vector quantity that describes the force per unit charge at a certain point in an electric field. In other words, electric potential is a measure of the potential energy, while electric field is a measure of the force experienced by a charge in an electric field.

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