Electric Potential and Potential Energy Electric potential is a measure of the electrical "charge" an object possesses. It's like the "electrical altitud...
Electric potential is a measure of the electrical "charge" an object possesses. It's like the "electrical altitude" an object has due to its charge.
Potential energy, on the other hand, is the energy an object possesses due to its position in an electric field. Think of it like the energy an object has because it's perched on a hill.
The relationship between potential and potential energy is like this:
Potential energy is an increasing function of the electric potential. This means that as the potential gets higher, the potential energy also gets higher.
Potential energy is a decreasing function of the distance from a point with infinite potential to the object. This means that as the distance increases, the potential energy decreases.
Examples:
Consider a positively charged point object in an electric field. The potential there will be positive because it's attracting electrons.
Imagine a negatively charged point object in the same field. The potential there will be negative because it's repelling electrons.
If you connect a positively charged object to a negatively charged object, the potential difference between them will be negative because the objects have opposite charges.
Suppose you move a positively charged object from point A to point B in an electric field. The potential energy of the object will increase because it's doing more work to reach point B.
Key takeaway:
Electric potential is a measure of the electrical "charge" an object possesses.
Potential energy is the energy an object possesses due to its position in an electric field.
Potential and potential energy are related by the principles of electric potential and potential energy