Classical mechanics deals with ideas like potential, force, and energy. The two concepts of force and energy stored go hand in hand. Objects accelerate when a net force is exerted on them. Objects lose potential energy as they travel in the direction where the force is pushing them. Cannonballs have more gravitational potential energy when fired from the higher ground than when fired from lower ground. Its potential energy reduces as it rolls down the slope, and this kinetic energy is then converted into motion.

In certain cases, a force field may be defined such that an object’s potential energy can only be determined by the object’s location in relation to the field. The gravitational and electric fields are two examples of these types of forces. Objects must be affected by these fields because of their inherent qualities (e.g., mass or charge), as well as their location.

Discussion

No matter how high the ball is, there will always be a little amount of energy in the ball. If you drop a ball from point A to point B, you’ll see that the ball will fall from a larger gravitational potential to a lower one, hence there would be a difference between these two energies. This idea is analogous to the difference in electrical potential.

An electrical charge’s ability to conduct electricity is what is referred to as electrical energy. If a charge has a greater or lower kinetic energy, the charge with higher potential will be more powerful. Moving from higher to lower potential is always the case with the flow of electricity. A voltmeter is a measure of the difference in energy per unit charge between the two energies.

A batter or a cell should be used to maintain a voltage differential in order to generate power and flow of current.

Higher potential (+ve terminal) and lower potential (-ve terminal) are represented by the longer side (- terminal).

A Voltmeter used in parallel with the instrument whose voltage is being measured measures the electric potential difference.

We briefly described a gravitational field, but unlike the electrostatic forces, gravity is always attractive. It is thus useful to establish a number that enables us to compute the work done on a charge regardless of the charge’s intensity. Since W=Fd and the magnitude of F might well be complicated for many charges, for peculiar objects, along the arbitrary pathways, it may be difficult to calculate the work directly the work and, by extension, U are equal to the charged particle q, as we can see from the equation F=qE. Electrostatic current V (or simply potential, because electric is understood) is the potential measure of energy charge, which we define in order to have a measured value that’s also irrespective of the charged object:

Electric Potential Formula

The electric potential energy per unit charge is

V=U/q.

Due to the fact that U is a function of q, the dependency on q is eliminated. As a result, V is independent of q. We are worried about the change in potential or potential variation V between two places since the shift in energy stored U is critical.

Variation in V=VB-VA

A- Higher Potential 

B- Lower Potential 

Electric Potential Energy Formula

A charged q transported from A to B has a shift in electric potential equal to the charge multiplied by the electric potential across A and B, V_B-V_A. The volt (V) is the designation given to the joules per coulomb of voltage differential.

1V=1J/C.

Voltage is a popular word for the change in electric potential. It’s important to remember that when we talk about voltage, we’re referring to the difference in voltage between two places. In the case of a battery, for illustration, its energy is the voltage divider among its input junctions. You may select any position in the range of zero volts that you choose. 

Conclusion

Electric potential is defined as the total amount of effort energy required to transport a number of electrical charges from a point of reference in an electromagnetic current to a specified place in the field (e.g., the potential drop). Specifically, it is the energy density per unit charge of the charged particle that is so low that it has no effect on the field being studied. There should be no acceleration of any kind, so as not to cause the test charge to acquire kinetic energy or emit radiation. The reference point’s electric potential is zero units by definition. To begin with, it’s common to pick Earth or infinity, however, any point may be utilised.

For the purpose of moving a charge from one place to the next in an electromagnetic field, this measure measures the amount of labour required per unit of charge. The term “potential differential” refers to the difference in electric potential. Gravitational potential energy also has an artificial zero, such as water level or possibly lecture hall flooring. This is equivalent to that. As a reminder, it is important to distinguish between potential differences and the energy of potential differences.