Electric potential is defined as the work needed to bring a unit positive charge from infinity to a specific point in an electric field, making it a scalar quantity. The potential difference between two points is the difference in electric potentials at those points, representing the work required to move a unit charge from one point to another. Electric potential does not have an absolute value and is always referenced to another point, typically defined as zero at infinity. The relationship between electric potential and electric field can be expressed through a potential function, where the gradient of this function corresponds to the electric field components. Understanding these concepts is crucial for analyzing electric fields and their effects on charges.