PHYS 230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Equipotential, Electric Field, Potential Energy
Document Summary
Topics: electric potential energy u , electric potential v. Related reading: lea textbook, chapter 25. 4 25. 5 25. 6 alternative ebook sections 3. 1-3. 5. Work done by the field is always opposite to the change of potential energy. When the field does positive work the pe of the field must reduces. If kinetic energy doesn"t change, the amount of external work will be equal to the change of the system"s potential energy. If external force doesn"t do any work the total pe and ke will stay unchanged. The amount of kinetic energy change will be equal to the opposite of the potential energy change. (cid:3032)++=(cid:3033)+(cid:3033) The potential change is proportional to the e field magnitude and the distance along the e field direction. d is the distance along the direction of the e field. It is not the distance from a to c. only the distance along the e field direction matters for potential change.
