PHY 108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Equipotential, Electronvolt, Electric Potential Energy
Document Summary
Define the electric potential of an electric field. Calculae the potential v from the corresponding electric field e. Calculate the elctic field e from the corresponding potential v. Determine potential v generated by a point charge, a discreet charge distribution. We can assign an electric potential energy u to a system of two or more charged particles exerting electrostaic forces on eachother. If the system changes its configuration from an initial state i to a different final state f, the electrostatic force does work w on the particles. As for all conservative forces, the work done by the electrostatic force is path independent. Suppose a chrged particle moves from point i to point f while an electrostatic force acts on it. The work done by the force on the particle is the same for paths between points i and f. W is the work done by the electrostatic forces between the particles as they move in from infinity.
