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.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 can change the potential energy of an object by exerting a force on charged particles within the field. This force can either increase or decrease the potential energy of the object, depending on the direction of the electric field and the charge of the particles.
The relationship between electric field and potential energy is that the electric field is the gradient of the potential energy. This means that the direction and strength of the electric field is determined by the rate of change of potential energy in a given direction.
Yes, an electric field can create potential energy by performing work on charged particles. As the particles move against the direction of the electric field, they gain potential energy. This is similar to how an object gains potential energy when it is lifted against the force of gravity.
The strength of an electric field directly affects potential energy. The stronger the electric field, the greater the force exerted on charged particles and therefore, the greater the change in potential energy. This means that the potential energy of an object can be increased or decreased depending on the strength of the electric field it is in.
The potential energy of an object in an electric field can be affected by the charge and distance of the object from the source of the electric field. Additionally, the strength and direction of the electric field itself can also impact the potential energy of the object.