Potential energy and electric potential

[Fabio010]

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.

 

[Fabio010]

one is exerted by a conservative force, the other is exerted by a conservative force per unit charge.

 

[ehild]

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

 

[ehild]

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

 

[Fabio010]

In U we have ΔU = -W


but because ΔV is the work per unit charge, then

ΔV*q= -W

 

[ehild]

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