Electric potential
Characterizes energetically the electric field
Similar quantity to the gravitational potential
Definition of electric potential energy:
For each point, the electric potential energy is equal to the work done against the field in bringing the charged object from some zero reference location to that point (if we do the work EPE> 0, if the field does the work EPE ɘ)
- It’s value does not depend on the path but on where we choose the zero reference location at a distance r from Q
- Measured in : Joules (J) zero level at infinite
Definition of the electric potential: electric potential energy of unit charge (EPE/charge) at a distance r from Q
By knowing the electric potential difference between two points we can calculate the work done by the field when moving a given charge between the two points