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F
q
Given the electric field E, the force exerting on any charge q can be
found as
F = E q
F= qE
F= mg
Ground
m
x
F= qE
F= mg
Ground
Mass m
Electric field E
Gravitational acceleration g
F= qE
F= mg
Ground
x=1 mm=10-3 m;
E= 10 N/C
WE = qE x = 1C 10 N/C 10-3 m=
=10 10-3 J; WE increases
h=1 mm=10-3 m;
g= 9.8 m/s2
x2
F= qE
A positive charge 1C moved from the point x1 into point x2 separated by 1 mm in the
electric field of 10 N/C in the direction of field lines.
What is the change in the charge potential energy?
Electric potential
F= qE
= WE/q [J/C]
Potential energy of a charge
in electric field:
= E x [(N/C) m] = [J/C]
WE = q E x
Potential is always measured with respect
A positive charge of 1C was moved by
1mm in the electric field of 10 N/C
against the field lines. What is the change
in the charge potential energy?
q=1C; x=1 mm=10-3 m;
E= 10 N/C
WE = qE x = 1C 10 N/C 10-3 m=
=10 10-3 J. WE increases
E= 10 N/C
= E x = 10 N/C 10-3 m =
= 10 10-3 Nm/C= 10 10-3 J/C
= WE/q
Potential is measured in Volts (V)
1V is the potential that changes a potential energy of the unit
charge of 1C (Coulomb) by 1 J (Joule)
1J
1V =
1C
If the potential of any point in the electric field is known, the
potential energy of any charge Q can be found:
WE = Q
= E x; from this
1V = 1 N/C * 1 m;
1 N/C = 1 V/m
[E] = [N/C] = [V/m]
V/m is a commonly accepted unit for the electric field.
Example problem 1
Negatively charged plate creates a uniform electric field of 103 V/m.
(a) What is the potential of a point 1 mm above the plate?
= E x;
x = 1 mm = 10-3 m
= 2.0 V;
(c) What is the potential of a point directly on the plate?
=0V
Example problem 2
Negatively charged plate creates a uniform electric field of 103 V/m.
Point 1 is located 1 mm above the plate;
point 2 is located 2 mm above the plate.
What is the difference in the potentials of the two points?
1 = E x1;
x = 1 mm = 10-3 m
Example problem 3
Negatively charged plate creates a uniform electric field of 103 V/m.
What is the change in the potential of a charge
that has been moved up by d = 1 mm?
The distance from each of the points 1 and 2 to the plate is unknown.
Assume point 1 is d0 mm away from the plate.
For the point 2 the distance would be (d0 + d) as the charge moves UP.
1 = E d0 ; (d0 unknown)
Example problem 4
What is the change in the potential energy of the charge Q=1 nC
that has been moved from the point with the potential 2 V to the point
with the potential of 5 V?
The potential energy of a charge in the electric field:
WE = Q
The change in the potential energy
WE = Q 2 - Q 1 = Q (2 - 1 )
Voltage
Due to the relative character of potential, the most important energy
characteristic of electric field is the potential difference.
The potential difference is also called the voltage V.
Voltage = Potential Difference
Being a potential difference, voltage is also measured in Volts (V)
If the potentials corresponding to the two different points 1 and 2
in the electric field are 1 and 2,
the voltage V21 between these points,
V21 = 2 - 1
2 = E x2
E
x1
1 = E x1
V=0
V21 = 2 - 1 = E (x2-x1)
V21 is the potential energy to move the unit charge from point 1 to point 2:
V21 = 2 - 1
V12 is the potential energy to move the unit charge from point 2 to point 1:
V12 = 1 2
Example problem 5
+
-
Example problem 6
+
Solution
The potential energy of the electron on the bottom plate is 0 J
The voltage of the top plate is V = -5V with respect to the bottom plate.
The potential energy of the electron that moves across the voltage V,
WE = q V = -e .V = -1.6 10-19C . (-5 V) = 8 .10-19 J
Answer: WE = 8 .10-19 J
Example problem 7
+
B
d
A
1 = E x1; 2 = E x2
Points with
different potentials
2
1
The voltage between any two points in any electric field is equal to the
potential difference between these two points
Vmn = m - n
Note that in the voltage indices normally, the first index is the end
point and the second index is the start point
Example problem 8
2
1
Solution: Vmn = m - n
V21 = 2 1 = 9V 3V = 6 V;
V32 = 3 2 = 6.5 V 9V = -2.5 V;
V31 = 3 1 = 6.5V 3V = 3.5 V;
V13 = 1 3 = 3V 6.5V = -3.5 V;
Example problem 8
2
1
Solution:
The potential energy of the charge Q at the node 1, W1 = 1Q;
The potential energy of the charge Q at the node 2, W2 = 2Q;
The change in the potential energy when the charge Q moves from the
node 1 to the node 2: W21 = W2 W1 = 2Q - 1Q =
(2 - 1)Q = (9 V 3 V) 1mC = 6V 1mC = 6 VmC = 6 mJ
The energy is positive, i.e. the work needs to done to move the charge
Example problem 9
3