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Electric potential is the potential energy per unit charge associated with a static (time-invariant) electric field, also called the electrostatic potential, typically measured in volts. Metaphorically, electric potential may be conceived of as "electric pressure" that can push electric charges to different locations. Technically, it is the potential φ (a scalar field) associated with the conservative electric field E (E = −∇φ) that occurs when the magnetic field is time invariant (so that ∇ × E = 0 from Faraday's law of induction). Potential energy (U, or Ep) is defined as work of conservative force(s) during change of state of physical system from given static state to another static state (latter is usually called reference state, or reference level). ...
Electric charge is a fundamental conserved property of some subatomic particles, which determines their electromagnetic interactions. ...
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential and voltage (derived from the ampere and watt). ...
Pressure is the application of force to a surface, and the concentration of that force in a given area. ...
In physics, a potential is a scalar quantity that can be used to analyze the effects of complicated vectorial forces and similar quantities by means of simple conservation laws. ...
In mathematics and physics, a scalar field associates a single number (or scalar) to every point in space. ...
Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ...
In physics, an electric field or E-field is an effect produced by an electric charge that exerts a force on charged objects in its vicinity. ...
In vector calculus, the gradient of a scalar field is a vector field which points in the direction of the greatest rate of change of the scalar field, and whose magnitude is the greatest rate of change. ...
Current flowing through a wire produces a magnetic field (M) around the wire. ...
Faradays law of induction gives the relation between the rate of change of the magnetic flux through the area enclosed by a closed loop and the electric field induced along the loop: where E is the induced electric field, ds is an infinitesimal element of the closed loop and...
Like any potential function, only the potential difference (voltage) between two points is physically meaningful (neglecting quantum Aharonov-Bohm effects), since any constant can be added to φ without affecting E. In the physical sciences, potential difference is the difference in potential between two points in a conservative vector field. ...
In the physical sciences, potential difference is the difference in potential between two points in a conservative vector field. ...
The Aharonov-Bohm effect is a quantum mechanical phenomenon by which a charged particle is affected by electromagnetic fields in regions from which the particle is excluded, proposed by Aharonov and Bohm in 1959. ...
The electric potential is therefore measured in units of energy per unit of electric charge. In SI units, this is: The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French phrase, Système International dUnités) is the most widely used system of units. ...
- joules/coulombs = volts.
The electric potential can also be generalized to handle situations with time-varying magnetic fields, in which case the electric field is not conservative and a potential function cannot be defined everywhere in space. There, an effective potential drop is included, associated with the inductance of the circuit. This generalized potential difference is also called the electromotive force (emf). The joule (symbol J, also called newton meter, watt second, or coulomb volt) is the SI unit of energy and work. ...
The coulomb, symbol C, is the SI unit of electric charge, and is defined in terms of the ampere: 1 coulomb is the amount of electric charge (quantity of electricity) carried by a current of 1 ampere flowing for 1 second. ...
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential and voltage (derived from the ampere and watt). ...
Inductance is a physical characteristic of an inductor, which is an electrical device that produces at any time a voltage proportional to the instantaneous rate of change in current flowing through it. ...
Electromotive force (emf) is a measure of the strength of a source of electrical energy. ...
Introduction Objects may possess a property known as electric charge. In the presence of an electric field, a force is exerted on such objects, accelerating them in the direction of the force. This force has the same direction as the electric field vector, and its magnitude is given by the size of the charge multiplied with the magnitude of the electric field.
Classical mechanics explores the concepts such as force, energy, potential etc. in more detail. In physics, Classical mechanics is one of the two major sub-fields of study in the science of mechanics, which is concerned with the motions of bodies, and the forces that cause them. ...
In physics, a net force acting on a body causes that body to accelerate; that is, to change its velocity. ...
In physics, a potential is a scalar quantity that can be used to analyze the effects of complicated vectorial forces and similar quantities by means of simple conservation laws. ...
There is a direct relationship between force and potential energy. As an object moves in the direction that the force accelerates it, its potential energy decreases. For example, the gravitational potential energy of a cannonball at the top of a tower is greater than at the base of the tower. As the object falls, that potential energy decreases and is translated to motion, or inertial energy.
For certain forces, it is possible to define the "potential" of a field such that the potential energy of an object due to a field is dependent only on the position of the object with respect to the field. Those forces must affect objects depending only on the intrinsic properties of the object and the position of the object, and obey certain other mathematical rules.
Two such forces are the gravitational force (gravity) and the electric force in the absence of time-varying magnetic fields. The potential of an electric field is called the electric potential. It has been suggested that Law of universal gravitation be merged into this article or section. ...
The electric potential and the magnetic vector potential together form a vector of dimension 4, so that the two kinds of potential are mixed under Lorentz transformations. In physics, the magnetic potential is a method of representing the magnetic field by using a potential value instead of the actual vector field. ...
In physics and engineering, the word vector typically refers to a quantity that has close relationship to the spatial coordinates, informally described as an object with a magnitude and a direction. The word vector is also now used for more general concepts (see also vector and generalizations below), but this...
The Lorentz transformation (LT), named after its discoverer, the Dutch physicist and mathematician Hendrik Antoon Lorentz (1853-1928), forms the basis for the special theory of relativity, which has been introduced to remove contradictions between the theories of electromagnetism and classical mechanics. ...
Mathematical introduction The concept of electric potential (denoted by: φ, φE or V) is closely linked with potential energy, thus: Potential energy (U, or Ep) is defined as work of conservative force(s) during change of state of physical system from given static state to another static state (latter is usually called reference state, or reference level). ...
- UE = qφ
where UE is the electric potential energy of a test charge q due to the electric field. Note that the potential energy and hence also the electric potential is only defined up to an additive constant: one must arbitrarily choose a position where the potential energy and the electric potential is zero. The electric potential energy of a body is its potential energy due to electric effects, neglecting other forces (such as gravity). ...
The proper definition of the electric potential uses the electric field E: In physics, an electric field or E-field is an effect produced by an electric charge that exerts a force on charged objects in its vicinity. ...
where s is an arbitrary path connecting the point with zero potential to the point under consideration. Note: this equation cannot be used and the electric potential is not defined if , i.e., in the case of a nonconservative electric field (caused by a changing magnetic field; see Maxwell's equations). When , the line integral above does not depend on the specific path C chosen but only on its endpoints. In fluid mechanics, an irrotational vector field is a vector field whose curl is zero. ...
Current flowing through a wire produces a magnetic field (M) around the wire. ...
Maxwells equations are the set of four equations, attributed to James Clerk Maxwell, that describe the behavior of both the electric and magnetic fields, as well as their interactions with matter. ...
Special cases and computational devices The electric potential at a point due to a constant electric field can be shown to be: The electric potential created by a point charge q, at a distance r from the charge, can be shown to be, in SI units: The International System of Units (abbreviated SI from the French phrase, Système International dUnités) is the most widely used system of units. ...
The electric potential due to a system of point charges is equal to the sum of the point charges' individual potentials. This fact simplifies calculations significantly, since addition of potential (scalar) fields is very much easier than addition of the electric (vector) fields.
Applications in electronics This electric potential, typically measured in volts, provides a simple way to analyze electric circuits without requiring detailed knowledge of the circuit shape or the fields within it. The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential and voltage (derived from the ampere and watt). ...
An electrical network or electrical circuit is an interconnection of electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, diodes, switches and transistors. ...
The electric potential provides a simple way to analyze electrical networks with the help of Kirchhoff's voltage law, without solving the detailed Maxwell's equations for the fields of the circuit. An electrical network or electrical circuit is an interconnection of electrical elements such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, diodes, switches and transistors. ...
Kirchhoffs circuit laws are a pair of laws that deal with the conservation of charge and energy in electrical circuits, and were first described in 1845 by Gustav Kirchhoff. ...
Maxwells equations are the set of four equations, attributed to James Clerk Maxwell, that describe the behavior of both the electric and magnetic fields, as well as their interactions with matter. ...
Related topics In the physical sciences, potential difference is the difference in potential between two points in a conservative vector field. ...
Poissons equation is the partial differential equation: Or alternately: or i. ...
In electrochemistry, the Nernst equation gives the electrode potential (E), relative to the standard electrode potential, (E0), of the electrode couple or, equivalently, of the half cells of a battery. ...
References
External links - Potential vs. Potential difference
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