8.02 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Electric Potential Energy, Electric Potential, Test Particle
Document Summary
The difference between two points a and b as the change in potential energy per test charge in moving a test charge from a to b. Negative of the work done by conservative forces. We can describe the energy properties of the eld independently of the energy of some particular object located in the eld. Suppose an object with charge q is moved across a potential difference v. The change in the potential energy of the object is then u = q v. Concept question: motion of charged object in an electric field. A charged point-like object is released from rest in a statistic electric eld (due to other xed charged sources). Consider the system consisting of the charged objects and the sources of the xed electric eld. At some time later the charged object will move to a new point in space such the potential energy of the system decreases, independent of the sign of charge.
