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WorkDoneandEnergyTransferinaField [ edit ]

Whenachargedparticlemovesinanelectricfieldworkisdoneandenergytransferstakeplace.Thisisexactly
analogoustothecasewhenamassmovesinagravitationalfieldsuchasthatsetupbyanymassiveobject.

Workdonebyafield [ edit ]

GravitationalCase [ edit ]
Amassheldataheighthabovethegroundhasgravitationalpotentialenergysince,ifreleased,itwillfall
undertheactionofthegravitationalfield.Oncereleased,intheabsenceoffriction,onlytheforceofgravity
actsonthemassandthemassacceleratesinthedirectionoftheforce(towardstheEarth'scentre).

Inthisway,workisdonebythefield.Whenthemassfallsadistanceh(frompointAtoB),theworkdoneis,

Infalling,themasslosesgravitationalpotentialenergyandgainskineticenergy.
Energyisconserved!
Theworkdonebythefieldisequaltotheenergytransferred,

ElectricalCase [ edit ]
Achargeinanelectricfieldhaselectricalpotentialenergysince,ifreleased,itwillmoveundertheactionof
theelectricfield.Whenreleased,intheabsenceoffriction,onlytheelectricforceactsonthechargeandthe
chargeacceleratesinthedirectionoftheforce(forpositivechargestheforceandaccelerationareinthe
directionoftheelectricfield,whilenegativechargesexperienceaforceandaccelerationintheopposite
directiontotheelectricfield.)Considerapositivecharge+Qplacedintheuniformelectricfieldbetween
oppositelychargedparallelplates.

Thepositivechargewillberepelledbythepositiveplateandattractedbythenegativeplate(i.e.itwillmovein
thedirectionoftheelectricfieldlines).Inthisway,workisdonebythefield.Inmovingthechargea
distancesintheelectricfield,theworkdoneis,

Intheprocessofmoving,thechargeloseselectricalpotentialenergyandgainskineticenergy.Theworkdone
bythefieldisequaltotheenergytransferred,

Workdonebyus [ edit ]

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GravitationalCase [ edit ]
InordertoreturnthemassminFigure12.1toitsoriginalposition(i.e.liftitadistancehfromBbacktoA)we
havetoapplyaforcemgtobalancetheforceofgravity.Anamountofworkmghisdonebythelifter.Inthe
process,themassgainsgravitationalpotentialenergy,

ElectricalCase [ edit ]
InordertoreturnthechargeinFigure12.2toitsoriginalposition(i.e.fromBbacktoA)wehavetoexerta
forceQEonthechargetobalancetheforceexertedonitbytheelectricfield.AnamountofworkQEsisdone
byus.Intheprocess,thechargegainselectricalpotentialenergy,

Insummary,whenanobjectmovesundertheinfluenceofafield,thefielddoesworkandpotential
energyistransferredintokineticenergy.Potentialenergyislost,whilekineticenergyisgained.Whenan
objectismovedagainstafieldwehavetodoworkandtheobjectgainspotentialenergy.

WorkedExample62Workdoneandenergytransfersinafield [ edit ]
Question:Achargeof+5nCismovedadistanceof4cmagainstauniformelectricfieldofmagnitude
fromAtoB.
(a)CalculatetheworkdoneinmovingthechargefromAtoB.(b)Thechargeisnowreleasedandreturnsto
A.CalculatethekineticenergyofthechargeatA.
Answer:(a)Step1:
Wearegiventhevaluesofthecharge,thefieldandthedistancethechargemustmove.Allareinthecorrect
units.
Step2:
SincethechargeispositivewehavetodoworktomoveitfromAtoB(sincethisisagainstthefield).Thiswork
isgivenby,

(b)
Step3:
WhenreleasedthechargemovesundertheinfluenceoftheelectricfieldandreturnstoA.Workisnowdone
bythefieldandtheworkdoneisequaltothekineticenergygained,

Sincethechargestartedatrest,thegaininkineticenergyisthefinalkineticenergy,

ElectricalPotentialDifference [ edit ]

Considerapositivetestcharge+QplacedatAintheelectricfieldofanotherpositivepointcharge.

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ThetestchargemovestowardsBundertheinfluenceoftheelectricfieldoftheothercharge.Intheprocess
thetestchargeloseselectricalpotentialenergyandgainskineticenergy.Thus,atA,thetestchargehasmore
potentialenergythanatBAissaidtohaveahigherelectricalpotentialthanB.Thepotentialenergyofa
chargeatapointinafieldisdefinedastheworkrequiredtomovethatchargefrominfinitytothat
point.
Thepotentialdifferencebetweentwopointsinanelectricfieldisdefinedastheworkrequiredtomovea
unitpositivetestchargefromthepointoflowerpotentialtothatofhigherpotential.Ifanamountof
workWisrequiredtomoveachargeQfromonepointtoanother,thenthepotentialdifferencebetweenthe
twopointsisgivenby,

Fromthisequationitfollowsthatonevoltisthepotentialdifferencebetweentwopointsinanelectricfieldifone
jouleofworkisdoneinmovingonecoulombofchargefromtheonepointtotheother.

WorkedExample63Potentialdifference [ edit ]

Question:ApositivelychargedobjectQisplacedasshowninthesketch.Thepotentialdifferencebetween
twopointsAandBis

(a)Calculatethechangeinelectricalpotentialenergyofa+2nCchargewhenitmovesfromAtoB.(b)Which
point,AorB,isatthehigherelectricalpotential?Explain.(c)Ifthischargewerereplacedwithanotherof
charge2nC,inwhatwaywoulditschangeinenergybeaffected?
Answer:(a)TheelectricalpotentialenergyofthepositivechargedecreasesasitmovesfromAtoBsinceitis
movinginthedirectionoftheelectricfieldproducedbytheobjectQ.Thislossinpotentialenergyisequalto
theworkdonebythefield,

(b)PointAisatthehigherelectricalpotentialsinceworkisrequiredbyustomoveapositivetestchargefrom
BtoA.(c)Ifthechargeisreplacedbyoneofnegativecharge,theelectricalpotentialenergyofthechargewill
increaseinmovingfromAtoB(inthiscasewewouldhavetodoworkonthecharge).

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Asanexampleconsidertheelectricfieldbetweentwooppositelychargedparallelplatesadistancedapart
maintainedatapotentialdifferenceV.

Thiselectricfieldisuniformsothatachargeplacedanywherebetweentheplateswillexperiencethesame
force.ConsiderapositivetestchargeQplacedatpointOjustoffthesurfaceofthenegativeplate.Inorderto
moveittowardsthepositiveplatewehavetoapplyaforceQE.Theworkdoneinmovingthechargefromthe
negativetothepositiveplateis,

butfromthedefinitionofelectricalpotential,

Equatingthesetwoexpressionsfortheworkdone,

andso,rearranging,

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