Potential
Potential is a term used in various fields of science to describe the capacity for change or the possibility of action. It can refer to a variety of different concepts, depending on the context, including electric potential, gravitational potential, chemical potential, and more.
Physics[edit | edit source]
In physics, potential often refers to the potential energy of a system. This is the energy that a system has due to its position or configuration, and it can be converted into kinetic energy, or the energy of motion. For example, a ball at the top of a hill has gravitational potential energy because of its position; if it rolls down the hill, this potential energy is converted into kinetic energy.
Electric Potential[edit | edit source]
Electric potential is the amount of electric potential energy per unit of charge that an electric charge would have if placed in a specific location within an electric field. It is measured in volts.
Gravitational Potential[edit | edit source]
Gravitational potential is the potential energy per unit mass in a gravitational field. It is often used in the study of celestial bodies and their orbits.
Chemistry[edit | edit source]
In chemistry, potential refers to the chemical potential, which is the energy change of a system when an additional particle is introduced, with the entropy and volume held constant. It is a fundamental quantity in thermodynamics and plays a crucial role in understanding chemical reactions.
Biology[edit | edit source]
In biology, potential can refer to the membrane potential, which is the difference in electric potential between the interior and the exterior of a biological cell. This potential plays a crucial role in the transmission of signals in neurons.
Mathematics[edit | edit source]
In mathematics, potential can refer to the potential function, a type of function used in potential theory, a branch of mathematical analysis.
See also[edit | edit source]
- Potential energy
- Electric potential
- Gravitational potential
- Chemical potential
- Membrane potential
- Potential function
Potential Resources | ||
---|---|---|
|
|
Translate to: East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD