Electric Potential
What Electric potential Energy?
Electric potential and electric current are two different quantities. In static electricity electricity, electric potential is the measure of work done to move a charge( not unit charge) from infinity into the field of source charge .
Lets say we are bringing a positive test charge (its default test charge for convention) near a positive source charge from the infinity. As the test charges moves closer to source charge, according to inverse square law, the force of repulsion increases and the amount of works done by external agency (one bringing the charge form infinity) to push the charge towards the source charge also increases. The test charge tries to move away from the source charge but external force overcomes the repulsion . So the direction of electric field lines are outward form the source charge as shown in the image below.
If a test charge left near the source charge then it will the follow one of the field lines. It means electric field lines also represent the motion of the electric charge.
How to define electric potential?
It is defined as the work done per unit charge. It is denoted by a letter 'v'.
What is formula of electric Potential
Consider a cell does w amount of work to move the charge q in the circuit. Then electric potential
v=w/q
Its unit is volt after the name of scientist Alessandro Volta. Another unit of electric potential we can get from the formula is J/C
What is one volt?
One volt is defined as,"one volt is equal to one joule of work done in moving the one coulomb of charge in the circuit".
1v= 1J/1C
What is electric potential difference?
It is defined as the work done per unit charge between any two points in the circuit.
the unit of electric potential is also Volt.
v = w/q
Field Topics
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Field lines
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Equipotential surfaces