Electric Potential Difference

Electric Potential Difference

Electricity Explained

Electrical Circuits

The flow of charge through wires allows us to cook our food, light our homes, air-condition our work and living space, entertain us with movies and music and even allows us to drive to work or school safely

What is an Electric Field?

• The influnce of charge objects to move about in space.

  
  

• Vectors are arrows that describe the electric field

Electric Field Lines/Vectors

• Vectors/Arrows move away from the Positive Charges

• Vectors Always move toward the Negative Charges

Multiple Choice

What is an electric field vector?

• The direction a positive charge will move in an electric field

• the direction a negative charge will move in am electric field

• the space of the electric field

• the influence of the electric fiels

Electric fields are similar to gravitational fields

Both involve action-at-a-distance forces.

Multiple Choice

Potential Energy increases as it moves further from the source.

• Tue

• False

Multiple Choice

Potential energy increases as it moves further from the Neg (-).

• true

• false

Objects naturally move from high potential energy to low potential energy under the influence of the field force

• Work is required to move an object from low energy to high energy.

• To move a charge in an electric field against its natural direction of motion would require work

The movement of charge

• moves with the electric field

• High to Low

• Diagram A requires work to go from A-B

• Diagram B No work is required to go from B-A

Multiple Choice

Look at the image provided. Why does diagram B require work?

• the charge moves from low potential to high potential

• The charge moves from high potential to low potential

• the charge is unstable and requires energy to stabilize

• the electric field is in the opposite direction as the charge

Electric Potential in Circuits

• A battery powered electric circuit has locations of high and low potential

• An electric field established between the two terminals

• The charge would lose potential energy as moves through the external circuit from the positive terminal to the negative terminal

• 
  

Multiple Choice

The quantity electric potential is defined as the amount of _____.

• electric potential energy

• force acting upon a charge

• potential energy per charge

• force per charge

As a positive test charge moves through the external circuit

• Each circuit element serves as an energy-transforming device

• Light bulbs, motors, and heating elements

Upon leaving the circuit element, the charge is less energized

• Location A high electric potential location

• Location C just after leaving the light bulb is a low electric potential location

• The loss in electric potential while passing through a circuit element is often referred to as a voltage drop

Fill in the Blanks

Electric Potential Difference

• the amount of potential energy per unit of charge at a specified location

• there is also a difference in electric potential between locations A and B

• This difference in electric potential is represented by the symbol ΔV

• One Volt is equivalent to one Joule per Coulomb

• V=J/C or C=V/J or J=C*V

• 
  

Multiple Choice

It takes 18 J of work to move ___ C of charge from the - to the + terminal of a 12-volt battery.

• 12C

• 15C

• 1.5C

• 324C

Multiple Choice

Where in the diagram of the external circuit is the Potential the lowest?

• Between A-B

• Between B-C

• Between C-D

• Between E-F

Multiple Choice

Where in the diagram of the external circuit is the Potential the greatest?

• Between A-B

• Between B-C

• Between C-D

• Between E-F