Ask a Teacher



WHAT IS ELECTRIC POTENTIAL?

It is the amount of work needed to move a unit electric charge from a reference point to a specific point against an electric field. The potential energy of a positive charge increases when it moves against an electric field, and decreases when it moves with the field. Electric potential can be thought of as potential energy per unit charge.

The nature of potential is that the zero point is arbitrary; it can be set like the origin of a coordinate system. That is not to say that it is insignificant; once the zero of potential is set, then every value of potential is measured with respect to that zero. Another way of saying it is that it is the change in potential which has physical significance


comments powered by Disqus