Electric potential - definition
Electric potential - definition
Electric potential is a scalar quantity that defines the potential energy of a unit electric charge located at a given point in an electric field. It is a measure of the ability of the field to do work on a test charge as it moves through space. The value of the electric potential depends on the distribution of the source charges and the geometry of the system, and its unit in the SI system is the volt (V).
Mathematically, the potential is expressed as the quotient of the work done by the field over a test charge in moving it from a reference point (usually assumed to be at zero potential) to the point under consideration, to the value of that charge. In an electrostatic field, the electric potential is a spatial function whose gradient determines the direction and value of the electric field strength - the greater the change in potential per unit distance, the stronger the field.
The difference in potential between two points is called voltage and is the basis for the operation of electrical and electronic systems. In conductors the potential is usually evenly distributed, while in insulators and spaces between charges there are significant differences that determine the flow of current. Electrical potential plays a key role in circuit analysis, electrostatics, electrodynamics and in the description of electromagnetic field phenomena.
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