4.1.

EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL

I. ENERGY EXPENDED IN MOVING A POINT CHARGE IN AN ELECTRIC

FIELD

Recall: force on Q due to the electric field intensity:

Component of the force in the direction dL that should be overcome:

where: aL unit vector in the direction dL

Thus, force _________ to overcome field:

Differential work done by _______________ moving Q:

Example 4.1.

Example 4.2.
4.2. EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL

Example 4.3.

Example 4.4.
(

II. LINE INTEGRAL

Line integral allows a path to be chosen and broken up into
________________, utilizing:

Assuming a path as shown in figure 4.1. having a _____________ electric

field:
A
work in moving charge from B to A:
EL6

EL5 E
EL4
E
EL3
E
EL2
E
EL1 E

B E
Figure
4.1.

Example 4.5.
4.3. EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL

III. POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE AND POTENTIAL

POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE (V)

work done by the external source in moving the ____________ charge from one
point to another in an electrical field.

Recall:

Potential difference: (Joules/Coulomb or Volts)

Thus, potential difference between A and B is:

Take note of ___________ A and B

Example 4.6.
Find the potential difference between points A and B at radial distances rA and rB
from a point charge, Q, at the origin.

POTENTIAL (also: ABSOLUTE/ELECTRIC/________________ POTENTIAL)

a reference point is used to evaluate the potential at a point
a fixed point is called a reference point or zero reference point (usually _______ or
________ are used)

VAB =VA VB

VA and VB must have ___________ zero reference point.

Example 4.7.
4.4. EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL

IV. POTENTIAL FIELD OF A POINT CHARGE

Recall: in the field of a point charge:

in this case, A and B lie in the _____ radial line

Assuming that A and B lie in radial distances rA and rB as shown in figure 4.2:

A(rA, A, A)
E =E a
r r

dL =dr a + rd a + r sin d
r
a

path
rA

Q rB B(rB, B, B)
Figure

Example 4.8.
A point charge of 6nC is located at
the origin in free space. Find VP if
point P is located at P(0.2,-0.4,0.4)
and V=20V at (-0.5,1,-1).
4.5. EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL
Therefore, V is ______________ of the path taken.
4.6. EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL

V. POTENTIAL FIELD OF A SYSTEM OF CHARGES: CONSERVATIVE

PROPERTY
Potential due to a point charge located at r1:

Potential due to 2 point charges:

Potential due to n point charges:

Representing each charge as a small element of a continuous volume charge

distribution:

Example 4.9.
Find V on the z-axis for a uniform line charge, L, in the form of a ring, =a, in the
z=0 plane, as shown in figure 4.3.

z
(0,0,z)

r
=a

y
r'

dL' = ad
x
Figure
4.7. EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL

CONSERVATIVE PROPERTY

For static fields, no work is done in carrying a unit charge around any _____________

A
Consider the conservative field in figure 4.4.
r1

r2
E

B
Figure

Therefore, a conservative field is __________________.

KIRCHHOFFS VOLTAGE LAW (KVL)

- a direct consequence of the Conservative Property
- states that the __________ of potential differences (or voltage drops) around a
closed circuit is always zero
D E A

C B
Figure
4.5.
Example 4.10.
4.8. EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL

VI. POTENTIAL GRADIENT

Recall:

consider: given quantity: V; required quantity:

from equation above:

PROJECTION OF ON :

Figure
4.9. EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL

Example 4.11.

Example 4.12.

References:
4.1 EE 18 LECTURE NOTES
0. CHAPTER 4: ENERGY AND POTENTIAL
Abaya, E.F., Introduction to Electric Fields, University of the Philippines Press, 2001.
Edminister, Joseph A., Schaums Outline of Theory and Problems of Electromagnetics, 2 nd edition,
McGraw-Hill, 1993.
Hayt, W.H. Jr., Buck, J.A., Engineering Electromagnetics, 6th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2001.