Scribd
Upload
38 views

Potential Energy Review: Xerfranz

St. Elmo's fire occurs due to the buildup of static electric charge in thunderstorms. The masts act as lightning rods, concentrating the electric field at their tips. When the electric field becomes strong enough, it ionizes the air molecules around the mast tips, causing them to glow - this is St. Elmo's fire. The effect is more pronounced when the masts are wet because seawater conducts electricity well, allowing more efficient transfer of charge to the mast tips from the thunderstorm.

Uploaded by

Ryan Bringino
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
38 views

Potential Energy Review: Xerfranz

St. Elmo's fire occurs due to the buildup of static electric charge in thunderstorms. The masts act as lightning rods, concentrating the electric field at their tips. When the electric field becomes strong enough, it ionizes the air molecules around the mast tips, causing them to glow - this is St. Elmo's fire. The effect is more pronounced when the masts are wet because seawater conducts electricity well, allowing more efficient transfer of charge to the mast tips from the thunderstorm.

Uploaded by

Ryan Bringino
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 31

Potential Energy Review

XerfranZ
WHAT IS ENERGY?
The measure of the ability of an
object or a system to perform work

When work is done, energy


is transferred

2
Energy of an object due to its
position in a gravitational field

Potential gravitational = mass × gravitational × height


potential
energy
field strength

Energy PE = mgh

PE = mgΔh

3
Electric Potential Energy
General Physics 2
Electric Potential Energy
• The electric force caused by any collection of charges at
rest is a conservative force.
• The work W done by the electric force on a charged
particle moving in an electric field can be represented by
the change in a potential-energy function U.
𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌=𝑬𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚
𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌=− 𝑷𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑬𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚
𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒌=𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑬𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒚

𝑾 = 𝑭𝒅 Since 𝑭 = 𝑬𝒒

𝑾 =(𝑬𝒒)𝒅 Since 𝟏 𝑸
𝑬= × 𝟐
𝟒 𝝅 𝝐𝒐 𝒓

We will use U to
𝟏 𝑸 𝒒𝟎 𝟏𝟏 𝑸 𝒒 𝑸𝟎 symbolize the Electric
𝑾 =( × 𝟐 )𝒅 𝑾=(
𝑼 =( ×× )
𝟒 𝝅 𝝐𝒐 𝒓 𝟒𝟒
𝝅𝝅𝝐 𝒐𝝐𝒐 𝒓𝒓 Potential Energy
 
 
Eq. 4.1. where:
= Electric Potential Energy (SI unit : Joules, J)
= positive test charge (SI unit : Coulomb, C)

(SI unit : Joules, J) = distance between the two charges


(SI unit : meter, m)
= permittivity constant (SI unit: Coulomb square per
Newton meter square, )
Eq. 4.2.

(SI unit : Joules, J)


Electric Potential
General Physics 2
The "flow" of the electric field
is "caused" by a difference
in electric potential.

14
Electric Potential
• The potential energy per unit charge, U/ , is the electric potential.
• The potential is characteristic of the field only.
• The potential energy is characteristic of the charge-field system.
• The potential is independent of the value of .
• The potential has a value at every point in an electric field.
Electric potential and voltage mean
the same thing
 
 
Eq. 4.3. where:
= Electric Potential Energy (SI unit : Joules, J)
= positive test charge (SI unit : Coulomb, C)
(SI unit : Joules per coulomb, electric potential (SI unit : Volts, V)
J/C)
𝟏 𝑸 𝒒𝟎
( × ) 
𝑼 We can substitute E.q. 4.1. 𝟒 𝝅 𝝐𝒐 𝒓
𝑽= 𝑽=
𝒒𝟎 to E.q. 4.3.
𝒒𝟎

𝟏 𝑸 𝒒𝟎
( × )  𝟏 𝑸
𝟒 𝝅 𝝐𝒐 𝒓
𝑽= 𝑽 =
𝒒𝟎 𝟒 𝝅 𝝐𝒐 𝒓
Potential due to a
point charge
Electric potential due to a point
charge
 
 where:
Eq. 4.4. = positive test charge (SI unit : Coulomb, C)
electric potential (SI unit : Voltages, V)
= distance between the two charges
(SI unit : Joules per coulomb, (SI unit : meter, m)
J/C)
= permittivity constant (SI unit: Coulomb square per
Newton meter square, )
If twice as many coulombs were in the test charge near the charged
sphere in the figure below, how would the electric potential energy
of the test charge relative to the sphere be affected? How would its
electric potential be affected?

20
Sample Problem 4.3:
How many electrons move through in each seconds by a single 30.0 W
headlight when powered by a 12V car battery?
Sample Problem 4.4:
What is the voltage away from the center of a diameter metal sphere that
has a static charge?
Potential Difference
General Physics 2
Electric potential due to a point
 charge
 
Eq. 4.5. where:
= positive test charge (SI unit : Coulomb, C)
change in electric potential (SI unit : Voltages, V)
(SI unit : Joules per coulomb,
J/C)
25
Equipotential Surfaces
General Physics 2
EQUIPOTENTIAL SURFACE
• An equipotential surface is a surface on which the potential has the same
value at every point.

• The potential for a point charge is the same anywhere on an imaginary


sphere of radius r surrounding the charge. This is true since the potential
for a point charge is given by 

and, thus, has the same value at any point that is a given distance r from the
charge. 

27
Thinking Physics
When a thunderstorm is approaching, sailors at sea
sometimes observe a phenomenon called “St. Elmo’s
fire,” a bluish flickering light at the tips of masts. What
causes this? Why does it occur at the tips of masts?
Why is the effect most pronounced when the masts are
wet?
(Hint: Seawater is a good conductor of electricity.)

You might also like