Electric Potential and Electric Field

Part 2: Electric Potential and Electric Field

In Part 1, you learned how electric charges exert forces on one another through electric fields. In this part, you will develop an energy-based description of electrostatics by introducing electric potential and electric potential energy. These concepts provide a powerful way to analyze electrical systems and form the basis for understanding voltage, one of the most important quantities in electricity.

You will also study capacitors, devices that store electrical energy in an electric field. Capacitors play essential roles in electronic circuits, medical equipment, camera flashes, defibrillators, and many other technologies. Understanding how capacitors store and release energy provides an important bridge between electrostatics and electric circuits.

This part contains the following chapters:

10. Introduction to Electric Potential and Electric Energy
11. Electric Potential Energy: Potential Difference
12. Electric Potential in a Uniform Electric Field
13. Electrical Potential Due to a Point Charge
14. Equipotential Lines
15. Capacitors and Dielectrics
16. Capacitors in Series and Parallel
17. Energy Stored in Capacitors