Chapter(23(Electric(potential(((it’s(all(about(energy!!

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Gravity( ( ( ( ( Electricity(
! ! ! !
Fg = mg (( ( ( ( FE = qE (!

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Uniform(field(NEAR(the(Earth’s(surface((like(in(this(room….)(
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Gravitational(potential(energy(
Ug#=#mgy#
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 Uniform(electric(field((
(between#2#parallel#plates#with#equal/opposite#charges#on#them)#

#
#
DO(EXACTLY(what(we(did(for(gravity,(choose(y(axis(up(
and(write(the((
electric#potential#energy,# # Ue#=#qEy#
#
NOTE#that,#unlike#gravity,#charges#can#be#NEGATIVE….#
#
On#the#diagram#above#indicate#the#position#of#lowest#potential#
energy#for#a#negative#charge,#Nq,#and#the#same#for#a#positive#charge,#q.#
#
#
Because#of#this#“problem”#and#because#of#how#we#measure#in#the#
real#world(see#lab),#we#define#the#electric(potential(
(
Ve#=#Ue/q.(((( ( UNITS((J/C(=(1(Volt(
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For#the#uniform#field#case#this#is#just#Ey.
 NOTICE(that:(
1) V#=#Ey,##decreases#as#you#move#in#the#direction#of#the#field#and#
that#
2) If#you#want#to#know#the#potential#energy#of#a#charge#q#at#any#
point,#you#just#multiply#by#it,##U#=#qV.#
(
PRACTICE(problems(
1)#Three#parallel#conducting#plates#are#arranged#as#shown#in#the#figure#below.#The#
central#plate#is#electrically#isolated#and#has#a#total#charge#Q#on#its#surfaces.#The#outer#
2#plates#have#net#charges#of#zero#
a) What#are#the#charges#on#the#upper#and#lower#surfaces#of#all#3#plates.#WHY?#
b) DRAW#electric#field#lines#
c) Choosing#your#V#=#0#at#the#lowest#possible#point#in#the#field,#Draw#a#graph#of#
electric#potential#V#as#a#function#of#x.##
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# x#
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# d#
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# 3d#
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#0# x#
HOW#is#the#derivative#dV/dx#related#to#the#x#component#in#the#2#regions#between#the#
plates??#
 #
#
2) Three#parallel#conducting#plates#are#arranged#as#shown#in#the#figure#
below.#The#central#plate#is#electrically#isolated#and#has#a#total#charge#Q#
on#its#surfaces.#The!2!outer!plates!are!connected!with!a!wire.!!
a) Draw#field#lines#and#plot#the#potential#V(x)#versus#x#on#the#graph#below.#
b) What#fraction#of#Q#ends#up#on#the#upper#surface#of#the#central#plate?#
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# d#
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NOTICE#that#we#can#rearrange#the#derivative#to#give,#
! ! !
dV = E x dx = − E ⋅ dl #where# dl = xˆdx .#
#
This#expression#is#very#useful#for#dealing#with#situations#where#the#field#
is#not#constant.
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Electric(potential(near(a(point(charge#(field#not#constant!!)#
Q/#For#the#point#charge#shown#below,#what#is#the#shape#of#the#surface#for#
which#V#is#constant?#(the#“equipotential#surface”)#
#
A/##

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( #
Gauss’#law#tells#us#that#a#sphere#with#a#spherically#symmetric#charge#
distribution#has#field#outside#that#is#identical#to#that#of#a#point#charge#at#
the#origin#(r=0).#
#
Consider#a#metal#sphere#of#radius#R#and#net#charge#Q.##
a) Where#is#the#charge#and#why?#
b) What#is#the#electric#potential#everywhere?#(choose#the#zero#of#V(r)#
to#be#at#infinity)#
c) #How#much#energy#would#is#take#to#bring#an#additional#amount#of#
charge,#dq,##in#from#infinity?#(Recall#that#in#the(increase(in(potential(
energy(of(the(system#would#just#be#dU#=#dq#V.)#
#
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# r#
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d) Can#think#of#how#to#calculate#the#total#potential#energy#of#a#charged#
sphere?#(HINT:#start#with#an#uncharged#sphere#and#bring#in#dq#
after#dq#from#infinity#to#the#surface#of#the#sphere.)
 Physics(1225(
( ( (
Calculating!potential!differences!due!to!continuous!charge!
distributions!
#
The#potential#difference#between#2#nearby#points#is#given#by,##
! !
dV = − E ⋅ dl .#
# !
For#example,#given#a#uniform#electric#field#to#the#right,# E = Eiˆ ,#the#
potential#difference#separated#by#the#infinitesimal#distance#dx#can#be#
!
€ expressed,#taking# dl = dxiˆ #
# €
dV#=#V(x#+#dx)#–#V(x)#=#N Eiˆ ⋅ dxiˆ =#NEdx(
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€
The(change(in(potential(energy(of(an(object(of(charge(q(between(the(same(2(
points(is(given(by,(
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dU = q0 dV .(
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(Recall#that#a#uniform#field#is#obtained#by#creating#uniformly#charged#
parallel#planes#having#equal/opposite#surface#charge#densities,#σ.)(
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x# #
0# x1# x2# D#
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If#you#want#to#know#the#electric#potential#difference#between#points#x1#
and#x2#you#simply#integrate#from#the#above#expression.#Since#E#is#constant#
the#integral#just#becomes,##
ΔV#=#V2#–#V1#=#NE(x1#–x2).#
#
The#negative#sign#assures#that#a#positive#charge,#as#it#falls#in#the#x#
direction#has#a#decreasing#potential#energy,#ΔU#= q ΔV#=#
#
Notice#that#this#potential#difference#only#depends#on#x.#This#means#that#
the#electric#potential#is#same#anywhere#over#a#surface#of#constant#x.#Such#
surfaces#are#planes#perpendicular#to#the#y#axis#(e.g.#on#the#diagram#above#
the#2#dashed#lines#represent#the#intersection#of#2#such#planes#with#the#xy#
plane.)##
#
#
Phys(1225(((MORE(practice(with#
! !
Electric!potential!due!to!continuous!charge!distributions! dV = − E ⋅ dl !
#
Uniformly(charged(ring(
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Suppose#that##
1) q#=#1#C,#radius#of#the#ring#is#1m#and#
2) a#proton#is#released#from#rest#at#an#initial#distance#of#1m#from#the#centre#of#the#
ring….(
Q/#What#is#the#final#speed#the#proton?#
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 Charged(“thin”(spherical(metal(shell(
#

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Point(charge(surrounded(by(a(neutral(metal(shell(

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Conductors(in(equilibrium(are(equipotential(surfaces….(
Since#there#is#no#field#inside#of#AND#on#component#of#E#along#their#surface.#
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 Electric(potential(practice(problems(
(
The(electric(potential(of(a(point(charge,(
kq
V (r) = .#
r
#
Left#and#right#hand#halves#of#a#rod#of#total#length#L#both#have#charge#uniformly#distributed#
along#their#lengths.#The#total#charges#on#each#half#are#equal#and#opposite,#Q#and#–Q.#What#
is# the# electric# potential# a# distance,# d,# away,# at# the# point# indicated# by# the# dot?# No#
integration# is# necessary,# but# you# must# present# a# clear# argument.# (Hint:# Use# a# symmetry#
argument#and#consider#the#direction#of#the#electric#field.)#
#
# Left,#Q# Right,#NQ#
#
+#+#+#+#+#+#+#N#N#N#N#N#N#N#
#
#
# L/
L/
# 2#
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2# d#
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Two#uniformly#charged#spheres,#each#with#
total#charge#Q,#are#side#by#side.#Their#radii#are#
R1#and#R2#and#their#centres#are#separated#by#a#
distance,#d.#What#is#the#potential#difference#
between#the#points#on#the#2#spheres#that#are#
closest#to#one#another,#1#and#2,#shown#
.#1# 2#
.#
attached#by#a#dashed#line#in#the#figure?## R1#
# 2R2#
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# d#
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