Electric Fields and Electric Energy

Electric Fields and Electric Energy

1. The Electric Field

2. Electric Potential Energy and Electric Potential

   • Electric potentials combine by simple addition
   • Electric fields store mechanical work
     • Opossite charges
       • + -
       • Attract one another
       • Separating two charges that attract each other requires mechanical work. This work is stored in the electric field as electrical potential energy
     • Like charges
       • - - + +
       • Repels one another
       • Moving two charges that repel each other closer together requires mechanical work. This work is stored in the electric field as electric potential energy
     • Calculating work done in an electric field
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   • Voltage is the electric potential energy per charge
     • Electric Potential
       • It is the amount of work energy needed to move a unit of electric charge (a Coulomb) from a reference point to the specific point in an electric field with negligible acceleration of the test charge to avoid producing kinetic energy or radiation by test charge.
       • Change in electric potential = Change in electric potential energy/charge
     • Units of voltage
       • Volt
         • It is the unit used to measure the amount of electric potential energy for a given amount of charge.
   • Electric potential is related to the electric field
   • Energy is conserved in electrical system
   • Electrical Potential decreases with distance

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