Electric potential

Electric potential is a fundamental concept in physics and electromagnetism, defined as the amount of electric potential energy that a charged particle would have if located at a specific point in space. It is also known as the electric potential difference and is measured in volts.

Definition

The electric potential at a point in space is defined as the work done by an external agent in carrying a unit positive charge from a reference point to that point without any acceleration. It is important to note that the reference point is usually taken at infinity.

Mathematical Representation

The electric potential V at a point r in a static electric field E is given by the line integral:

V = - ∫ E • dl

where dl is an infinitesimal element of the path.

Relation with Electric Field

The electric potential is related to the electric field by the equation:

E = - ∇V

where ∇V is the gradient of the electric potential.

Applications

Electric potential has numerous applications in various fields such as electronics, electrical engineering, and physics. It is used in the design of electric circuits, capacitors, and batteries. It also plays a crucial role in understanding phenomena like electric discharge, electric shock, and electric current.

See Also

• Electric field
• Electric charge
• Electromagnetism
• Physics
• Electronics
• Electrical engineering

References

Electric potential Resources
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