First-year college/university students are well aware of the concept of an object’s potential energy owing to gravity. It is good to begin the topic of electric potential definition in this module. The pedagogical difficulty here is to make an abstract topic come to life so that learners can relate to it. 

What is an electric field?

The electric field may be conceived of as an electric property associated with every location in space where a charge of any kind occurs. Another approach to describe an electric field is in terms of electric force per unit charge.

Electric charges are subjected to pressures from other charges, such as when two positive charges push apart or resist. This is explained by stating that an electric charge creates (or induces) an electric field around it. This electric field subsequently influences other adjacent charges, causing pressures to be exerted on them.

Larger charges will experience more pressures for a given electric field. The force varies in direct proportion to the charge. The electric field strength is defined as\

E=F ÷ q

E is equal to the start fraction, F is divided by the end fraction, and q is the end fraction.

As a result, the intensity of the electric field is measured in N/C, which are newtons per coulomb of charge. The intensity of an electric field is a vector, and its direction is the direction in which it exists.

What is electric potential energy?

We are converting energy when we use energy to operate our circuits, gizmos, and gadgets. Electronic circuits should be capable of storing energy and converting it to various forms such as heating, lighting, or movement. The electric potential definition states that the energy is the stored energy of a circuit.

Similarly, the energy of a gravitational pull is also the potential energy of a charge in an electric field. The electric potential energy of a charge indicates how much stored energy it has; when this energy is set in motion by an electrostatic force, it becomes kinetic energy and will do work when put into motion.

What is the basic concept of electric potential?

The amount of labour required to transport a unit charge from a point of reference to a particular location against such an electric field is referred to as electric potential. The reference point is often Earth, but any location outside the effect of the applied electric charge can be utilised.

Similarly, the potential difference between these two points is described as the quantity of effort necessary to move a unit positive charge from one location to another.

Whenever a charged body attracts an opposite charged body and repels a similarly charged body. That is, the charged body is capable of conducting labour. The electrical potential of a charged body is defined as its ability to conduct work

When two electrically charged bodies are linked by a conductor, electrons begin to flow from the lower potential body to the higher potential body, implying that current begins to circulate from the higher potential body to the lower potential body, depending on the potential difference between the bodies and the resistance of the linking conductor.

So, a body’s electric potential is its charged state, which decides whether it will accept from or give up an electric charge to another body. Electric potential is classified as an electrical level, and the difference between two such levels allow current to flow between them. This level must be assessed in comparison to a standard zero point. The earth’s potential is assumed to be zero. The electric potential above the earth’s potential is considered positive, whereas the electric potential below the earth’s potential is considered negative.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be considered that Electric potential is the action performed per unit charge to get a charge from infinite space to a point in an electric field, whereas electric potential difference is the potential created when transferring a signal from one part in the field to another.