Electric Potential and Potential Energy

The electric potential and electric potential energy are studies in this module.  The module begins with an introduction of electric potential energy of a point charge, and then a discussion of the concept of electric potential as a property of the electric field. The concept is further examined through derivations of electric potentials of multiple point charges, sheet charge and non-conducting solid.

Introduction

First-year college/university students are quite familiar with the notion of potential energy of an object due to gravity. It’s advantageous in this module to start the discussion on electric potential energy of a point charge, and then introduce the concept of electric potential. Pedagogically the challenge here is to bring an abstract concept to life, so that students can relate to. Some basic integration is required in the derivations and the main goal of this module is to gain clear understanding of the essence of electric potential.

This module consists of a sequence of 6 videos with 2 step-by-step solved examples and 8 self-assessment questions. It is expected that the course instructor, will supplement the module with additional questions.

Prerequisites

Before starting this module, it will be helpful to be familiar with:

• Dot product of two vectors,
• Basic integration formula,
• Concept of electric field,
• Gravitational potential energy.