ELECTRIC POTENTIAL Sec 23-2

GENERAL RULE VALID FOR ANY ELECTRIC FIELD

U 1 qi
V  
q0 4 0
i r
Moving WITH the direction of i
the electric field means moving
in the direction of decreasing
V.

Moving AGAINST the direction

of the electric field means
moving in the direction of
increasing V.
POTENTIAL DUE TO A COLLECTION OF CHARGES:
U 1 qi
V 
q0

4 0

i ri
INDEX CARD EXERCISE
Note: P is their midpoint.
Note: P is their midpoint.
OBJECTIVE

 Evaluate the potential at any point in a region

containing point charges
ATTENDANCE QUIZ SEC 23-3

Consider a solid conducting sphere of radius R with

total charge q. We already know that the electric
field inside the sphere is zero.

Question: Inside the sphere, is the electric potential

necessarily zero? Answer with Yes or No.
ATTENDANCE QUIZ SEC 23-3

Consider a solid conducting sphere of radius R with

total charge q. We already know that the electric
field inside the sphere is zero.

Question: Inside the sphere, is the electric potential

necessarily zero? Yes or no.

NO: V is constant inside the sphere

CALCULATING ELECTRIC POTENTIAL Sec 23-3
OBJECTIVE
 Determine the electric potential function at any point due to
continuous charge distributions
FINDING ELECTRIC POTENTIAL FROM
ELECTRIC FIELD
𝑏 𝑏
𝑊𝑎→𝑏 = න 𝐹Ԧ ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ = න 𝑞0 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑𝑙Ԧ
𝑎 𝑎

𝑏
𝑊𝑎→𝑏
= න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ = 𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏
𝑞0 𝑎

𝑏 𝑎
𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏 = න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑𝑙Ԧ = − න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ
𝑎 𝑏
FINDING ELECTRIC POTENTIAL FROM
ELECTRIC FIELD

To move a unit charge against the electric force, we

must apply an EXTERNAL force per unit charge equal
to the negative of the electric field.

The work done per unit charge by an external

force to move a unit charge from b to a.

𝑏 𝑎
𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏 = න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑𝑙Ԧ = − න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ
𝑎 𝑏
FINDING ELECTRIC POTENTIAL FROM
ELECTRIC FIELD

Electric field: N/C = V/m

𝑏 𝑎
𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏 = න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑𝑙Ԧ = − න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑 𝑙Ԧ
𝑎 𝑏
POTENTIAL OF A CONTINUOUS DISTRIBUTION OF CHARGE
POTENTIAL OF A SOLID CONDUCTING SPHERE (RADIUS R AND CHARGE +𝑞)

We can set that at point b @ infinity, V is zero.

POTENTIAL OF A SOLID CONDUCTING SPHERE (RADIUS R AND CHARGE +𝑞)
POTENTIAL OF A SOLID CONDUCTING SPHERE (RADIUS R AND CHARGE +𝑞)
POTENTIAL OF A SOLID CONDUCTING SPHERE (RADIUS R AND CHARGE +𝑞)

Check: General rule

Moving WITH the

direction of the electric
field means moving in the
direction of decreasing V.
POTENTIAL OF A RING AT THE CENTER (OR AT DISTANCE R)
(RADIUS R, CHARGE Q)
Infinitesimal segment approach:
POTENTIAL OF A RING AT POINT P (A DISTANCE X FROM THE CENTER)
(RADIUS R, CHARGE Q)
+y
Infinitesimal segment approach:

R P
x +x
POTENTIAL OF AN FINITE LINE (CHARGE Q)

𝑄 𝑑𝑄
𝜆= =
2𝑎 𝑑𝑦
𝑄
⇒ 𝑑𝑄 = 𝜆𝑑𝑦 = 𝑑𝑦
2𝑎
POTENTIAL OF AN FINITE LINE (CHARGE Q)

𝑎
1 𝑄 1
𝑉= න 𝑑𝑦 ⋅
4𝜋𝜖0 −𝑎 2𝑎 𝑥2 + 𝑦2
POTENTIAL OF AN FINITE LINE (CHARGE Q)

1 𝑄 𝑥 2 + 𝑎2 + 𝑎
𝑉= ln
4𝜋𝜖0 2𝑎 𝑥 2 + 𝑎2 − 𝑎
POTENTIAL OF AN INFINITE LINE CHARGE  2𝑘𝜆
𝐸𝑟 =
𝑟
POTENTIAL OF AN INFINITE LINE CHARGE  2𝑘𝜆
𝐸𝑟 =
𝑏 𝑟
𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏 = න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑𝑙Ԧ
𝑎
𝑏 𝑟𝑏 1
=‫𝑟𝐸 𝑎׬‬ 𝑑𝑟 = 2𝑘𝜆 ‫𝑟𝑑 𝑟׬‬
𝑎 𝑟

If we set b at infinity, obtain

𝑉𝑎 = ∞!
POTENTIAL OF AN INFINITE LINE CHARGE 
𝑏
𝑉𝑎 − 𝑉𝑏 = න 𝐸 ⋅ 𝑑𝑙Ԧ
𝑎
𝑏 𝑟𝑏 1
=‫𝑟𝐸 𝑎׬‬ 𝑑𝑟 = 2𝑘𝜆 ‫𝑟𝑑 𝑟׬‬
𝑎 𝑟

Set zero potential at arbitrary finite

radial distance 𝑟0 .
𝜆 𝑟0
𝑉𝑎 = ln
2𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
POTENTIAL OF AN INFINITE LINE CHARGE  2𝑘𝜆
𝐸𝑟 =
𝑟

Check result: if 𝜆 > 0, V decreases as r increases. Yes!

𝜆 𝑟0
𝑉𝑎 = ln
2𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
POTENTIAL OF AN CHARGED CONDUCTING CYLINDER (LINE CHARGE 𝜆 )

Same as infinite line charge but only for 𝑟 ≥ 𝑅 where

r=distance from cylinder axis to field point where you want to
measure V and R=cylinder radius

𝜆 𝑅
𝑉𝑎 = ln
2𝜋𝜖0 𝑟
Important note:

If the electric field at a certain point is zero, the

electric potential doesn’t have to be zero at that
point.

Location of zero potential is arbitrary.

INDEX CARD EXERCISE
O
r

−𝑘𝑄
𝑉=
𝑟
−𝑘𝑄
-V 𝑉=
𝑅
DISCUSSION 3 COVERAGE
ATTENDANCE QUIZ COVERAGE (FRI, FEB10)
Sec 23-5: Potential Gradient
PROBLEM SET 2: CHAPTER 22
OPEN UNTIL THURS, FEB 9 9PM