PHYS 142 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Electric Field
Document Summary
Phys 142: electromagnetism and optics - lecture 9: potential and field part 1. We know that force and potential energy are closely related. Now we need to establish a similar relationship between the electric field and the electric potential. The potential difference between two points in space is: We can find the potential difference between two points if we know the electric field. Thus a graphical interpretation of the equation above is: The most common source of electric potential is a battery. Lifting positive charges to a positive terminal requires that work be done, and the chemical reactions within the battery provide the energy to do this work. The potential difference between the terminals of an ideal battery is: A battery constructed to have an emf of 1. 5 v creates a 1. 5 v potential difference between its positive and negative terminals.