Electric Potential

 
F  q1 E
z 
E B What would be the work
 done in moving q1
from A to B against F along the path shown?
A
q1 dl

y
d l : an elemental vector displacement
 
B
Then work done: W    F . d l
x A
 
B

• Let us consider E
 W  q1  E . d l
A
• produced by a
collection of charges • In general it should depend on the path taken
• What would be the
force on a charge q1
placed at A?
Consider the field at A due to q at O:

r̂
 q 1
E rˆ
q1
Aq
1 4  0 r 2

C D
Consider taking q1 from A to B:
q B
O
1. Straight line A to C

2. Curved path C to B

 Work done for path 1:

rC
q1q 1 q q1 1 1
W 
4  0 r r 2 rˆ . d r rˆ W
4  0
  
A  rC rA 
• Now work done for path 2 from C to B?
r̂ Ans : 0
Aq  
q1 1
E is normal to d l on the spherical surface!
 D
C dl
B Since rC = rB
q
O q1 q 1 1
W   
A

4  0  rC rA 
q q1 1 1
   
4  0  rB rA 

W will be same if we had taken the paths AE, EF, FG, …., JK, KL, and LB to reach B
 A
If we had taken the path from A to B via

AEFGHIJKLB

 1 1   1 1   1 1   1 1   1 1   1 1   1 1 
                          
q1 q  rE rA   rF rE   rG rF   rH rG   rI rH   rJ rI   rK rJ 
W 
4  0   1 1   1 1  
        
   
  rL rK   rB rL  
  1 1   1 1   1 1   1 1   1 1   1 1   1 1 
                          
q1 q  rE rA   rF rE   rG rF   rH rG   rI rH   rJ rI   rK rJ 
W 
4  0   1 1   1 1  
        
  rL rK   rB rL  

q1 q  1 1 
W    
4  0  rB rA 
Conclusion?
Work done in taking charge q1 from A to B in the field E produced by q is independent
of the path!
Thus   q1 q 1 1 
W  q1 .  E .dl 
4  0
  
A B (any path)  rB rA 
If A    rA = 
  q1 q  1 1 
Consequently from W  q1 .  E .dl 
4  0
  
A B (any path)  rB rA 

Thus we can define a function rr
 

V r     E . d l
O
where  q 1 
V r    V depends only on the field point r
 4  0 r
Electrostatic potential
and O represents some standard reference point

Something like height of a place above the sea level

  
 Potential difference between two points a and b
 

rb  a

r 
 
 
V b  V a     E . d l   E . d l
O O

  
r b  rO   b 
   E . d l  E . d l   E . d l
O a a
From the fundamental theorem of gradient: 
b  

 V . d l  V b  V a 


 a 
b  b 
 V . d l   E . d l
a a
  
 E  V

Differential form of the definition of V which was defined
earlier through 

rr 
V r     E . d l
O
Minus sign is a convention !

If V is known, electric field E can be obtained

From vector algebra it is known that if for a vector F

   
  F  0  F  V
 V is a scalar function
Consistent with the results for electrostatic field !
A surface over which V is constant is called an equipotential surface

q1
V
4  0 r

r determines V
 Equipotential lines are circles

 Equipotential surfaces are spheres

centred on the charge
Adapted from Hyperphysics

Electric field lines are straight lines, which are normal to the equipotential surfaces
Reference level O is chosen to be at 

• something similar to ‘sea level’ used in referring altitude of a place

In the context of electrostatic potential, O is taken as 

 done in bringing a unit charge (q1 = 1 C) from  to a point

Thus V represents the work
whose radius vector is r
Unit of potential is Newton-metres per Coulomb or Joule per Coulomb

also called volt
Like E field, V also obeys the superposition principle

Recollect, in the context of electrostatic, superposition principle pertained to force on

a test charge Q
Superposition principle :

Total force = vector sum of forces attributed to all the individual source charges
   
F  F1  F2  F3  
 
F  Q E
   
 E  E1  E2  E3  

Thus 
r  

Ref

E1  E2   . d l

 V  V1  V2  V3  
Differential form of Gauss’ law :   
. E 
0
Also recollect
   
 E  0 E  V
   
 
  . E   .  V   2V

  V 2

0

Poisson’s equation
In charge-free region,
 0   2V  0 : Laplace’s equation
 We have seen potential due to a large number of charges:

V  V1  V2  V3  
 q 1
Potential due to charge q is: P V r    /
 / 4  0 r  r
r r
q
For a collection of discrete source charges:

P

 / 1 n
qi

q1  r  ri V r  
4 0

i 1 r  ri /

q2 q 
i

If instead of discrete charges there is a continuous distribution of charge with volume
charge density :
  P
r r /

d /
 
/ /
 r   r d /
   1  r /
 d
 V r     
/

total charge in vol d/ 4 0 V r r

/
 /
For a surface charge density:  r  
/
 Charge on the surface area d S will be  r d S
/ /
 
 1  r /
 ds
 V r    r  r
/

4 0 /

 
/
For a line charge density:  r  Charge along the line element d l will be  r  d l
/ / /

 1  r /
 dl
 V r    r  r
/

4 0 /
Example
Two equal and opposite charges (+q and – q) separated by a distance d are placed on
the z-axis; a) Calculate the electrostatic potential at an arbitrary point P (x, y, z) and b)
show that at large distance from the origin the potential is given by
z q zd p cos 
P (x, y, z) V 
r1 4  0 r 3
4  0 r 2

+q where p = qd is called dipole moment and 

 r2 is the polar angle.
d y
By superposition principle:
q V  x, y , z   V q  V q
+q -q
x 1   q  q 
     
4   0  r1  r2 
 z Now
P (x, y, z)
r1 1 1 
+q r   
 r2  r1 r2 
d y
1 1
 

x
q
x  y  zd
2 2
 22
x  y  zd
2 2
 2
2

Consider the term

1
1

1 1 zd 
1 2
  1  2 
x  y  zd
2 2
 2

2
x  y  z 2
2 2 zd
2
2
r  zd r 
2 r 
= r2 Note: d << z
Thus
 1 1  1  z d  
1 1
2
 zd  2

    1  2   1  2  
 r1 r2  r  r   r  

1  zd   z d  zd
 1  2   1  2   2  3
r  2r   2r  2r
zd
 3
r
q zd pz
 V  x, y , z   . 3  ; p  qd
4  0 r 4  0r 3
Dipole moment