Electric Potential Energy Overview
As electrical potential energy has only magnitude and no direction, therefore it is a scalar quantity. The SI unit of electric potential energy is Joule (J). The following table shows some important points and symbols of the electric potential energy:
Electric Potential Energy | |
Representation | UE or U |
Dimensions | ML2T-2 |
General Formula | UE = kq1q2/r |
SI Unit | Joules |
Two factors are majorly responsible for the electric potential energy:
- The charge on the object.
- The relative position of the object with another neighboring charge.
Electric Potential Energy
Electrical potential energy is the cumulative effect of the position and configuration of a charged object and its neighboring charges. The electric potential energy of a charged object governs its motion in the local electric field.
Sometimes electrical potential energy is confused with electric potential, however, the electric potential at a specific point in an electric field is the amount of work required to transport a unit charge from a reference point to that specific point and electrical potential energy is the amount of energy required to move a charge against the electric field.
In this article, let’s understand the electrical potential energy, electric potential, their key concepts, applications, and solved problems.
Table of Content
- What is Electric Potential Energy?
- Electric Potential Energy Formula
- Electric Potential Energy of a Point Charge
- Electric Potential Energy of a System of Charges
- What is Electric Potential?
- What is Electric Potential Difference?
- Electric Potential Derivation
- Electric Potential of a Point Charge
- Solved Examples on Electric Potential Energy
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