Electric Potential and Potential Difference

Flashcards based on lecture notes about Electric Potential Energy, Electric Potential, and related concepts.

Potential Energy

Stored energy of an object at rest, converted into kinetic energy when the object moves.

Electrical Potential Energy

Stored energy in a circuit.

Electric Potential

The amount of work required to bring a unit positive charge from infinity to a certain point.

Electric Potential Energy

Energy needed to move a charge against an electric field.

Conservative Force

A force where the work done moving an object from one position to another is independent of the path taken.

Uniform Electric Field

Electric field lines are equally distributed parallel to each other, and the strength of the field does not change.

Kinetic Energy

Energy of an object in motion.

Law of Conservation of Mechanical Energy

Refers to the total kinetic and potential energies present in a system.

Electric Potential

The potential energy contained in a single unit of charge.

Voltage

The potential difference between two points, expressed in joules per coulomb or volts.

Electron Volt (eV)

The quantity of work done to displace a charge through a potential difference of 1 V.

Equipotential Surface

A three-dimensional surface where the electric potential is the same at all points.

Equipotential Volume

Another name for equipotential surface of a conductor.

Electrostatic Equilibrium

Condition in which the excess charge inside a conducting material has optimally distanced itself to reduce the amount of repulsive force.

Conductor

Permits free electrons to move freely between and among atoms.

Polarization

Separation between equal and opposite electric charges.

Static Electricity

Electricity at rest, produced when there is an imbalance of electrical charges.

Electron Affinity

Chemical property of an atom to attract electrons to itself.

Triboelectric Series

Ranks materials based on their tendency to acquire charge.

Law of Conservation of Charge

States that the algebraic sum of all the electric charges in any closed system is constant.

Electrostatic Force

Force between stationary charged particles.

Field Forces

Forces that act between objects even if they are not in contact.

Electric Field

The amount of electric force on a charged body exerted by external charged bodies.

Test Charge

What is used to react to electric field by experiencing electric force?

Electricity

Phenomenon that pertains to the flow of charge.

Linear Charge Density (λ)

For a line charge distribution, measured in Coulombs per meter (C/m).

Surface Charge Density (σ)

For a distribution over a surface, measured in Coulombs per square meter (C/m²).

Volume Charge Density (ρ)

For distribution through a volume, measured in Coulombs per cubic meter (C/m³).

Electric Flux

The total amount of electric field passing through a given surface.

Gauss’s Law

Mathematical relationship between charges, electric field, and electric flux.

Gaussian Surface

The 'enclosed surface' referred to in Gauss’s Law, usually imaginary or hypothetical.