3: The Electric Potential
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- 3.1: Introduction
- This section provides an introduction to an energy-based approach to electrical phenomena, including the concepts of electric potential energy and electric potential (voltage).
- 3.2: Work and Energy
- In this section, we summarize some basic principles of physics related to work and energy, including kinetic energy and potential energy.
- 3.3: Electric Potential Energy
- In this section, we begin to explore the use of energy to describe physical systems with electric charges through the definition of electric potential energy.
- 3.4: Electric Potential Energy of Point Charges
- In this section, we begin to explore the use of energy to describe physical systems with electric charges through the definition of electric potential energy.
- 3.5: Electric Potential
- Electric potential is potential energy per unit charge. The potential difference between points A and B, that is, the change in potential of a charge q moved from A to B, is equal to the change in potential energy divided by the charge. Potential difference is commonly called voltage, represented by the symbol ΔV.
- 3.6: Electric Potential of a Point Charge
- Point charges, such as electrons, are among the fundamental building blocks of matter. Furthermore, spherical charge distributions (such as charge on a metal sphere) create external electric fields exactly like a point charge. The electric potential due to a point charge is, thus, a case we need to consider.
- 3.7: Common Models of Electric Potential
- Many practical scenarios contain so many individual charges that they can be effectively considered as a continuous distribution of charge. This section will summarize the electric potentials that result from some common geometries of charge distribution, including a finite line, ring, disk, and infinite line.