ARUL INSTITUTE, CHENNAI

CBSE – CLASS XII – PHYSICS – CHAPTER 2

ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL AND CAPACITANCE – PART 1

INTRODUCTION

When an external force does work in taking a body from a point to another against a force

like spring force or gravitational force, that work gets stored as potential energy of the body.

When the external force is removed, the body moves, gaining kinetic energy and losing an

equal amount of potential energy. The sum of kinetic and potential energies is thus conserved.

Forces of this kind are called conservative forces. Spring force and gravitational force are

examples of conservative forces.

Coulomb force between two (stationary) charges is also a conservative force. Since both have

inverse-square dependence on distance and differ mainly in the proportionality constants –

the masses in the gravitational law are replaced by charges in Coulomb’s law. Thus, like the

potential energy of a mass in a gravitational field, we can define electrostatic potential energy

of a charge in an electrostatic field.

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POTENTIAL ENERGY DIFFERENCE

Consider the field E due to a charge Q placed at the origin. Now, imagine that we bring a test

charge q from a point R to a point P against the repulsive force on it due to the charge Q.

Q q
P R
Fext

Work done by an external force in moving a charge q from R to P is

P

∫
WRP = – Fext . dr
R

This work done is against electrostatic repulsive force and gets stored as potential energy.

At every point in electric field, a particle with charge q possesses a certain electrostatic

potential energy, this work done increases its potential energy by an amount equal to potential

energy difference between points R and P.

Potential energy difference ∆U = UP – UR = WRP

where UP → potential energy at P ; UR → potential energy at R

If the external force is removed on reaching P, the electric force will take the charge away

from Q and the stored energy (potential energy) at P is used to provide kinetic energy to the

charge q in such a way that the sum of the kinetic and potential energies is conserved.

Electric potential energy difference between two points is defined as the work done by an

external force in moving (without accelerating) the charge q from one point to another point

against the electrostatic force of repulsion.

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Work done on a test charge ‘q’ by the electrostatic field due to any given charge configuration

is independent of the path and depends only on its initial and final positions. This is the

fundamental characteristic of a conservative force.

POTENTIAL ENERGY

UP – UR = WRP

When the point R is at infinity,

Q q
P
Fext ∞

UP – U∞ = W∞P

UP = W∞P [since U∞ = 0]

Potential energy of a charge q at a point is defined as the work done by the external force in

moving (without accelerating) the charge q from infinity to that point against the electrostatic

force of repulsion.

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POTENTIAL DIFFERENCE

Electric potential difference between two points is defined as the work done by an external

force in moving (without accelerating) unit positive charge from one point to another point

against the electrostatic force of repulsion.

Q +1C R
P
Fext

UP − UR W
∆V = VP – VR = = RP
q q

where VP → potential at P ; VR → potential at R

ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL

WRP
VP – VR =
q

When the point R is at infinity,

Q
P +1C
Fext ∞

W∞P
VP – V∞ =
q

W∞P
VP = [since V∞ = 0]
q

Electrostatic potential (V) at any point in an electric field is defined as the work done in

moving (without accelerating) a unit positive charge from infinity to that point against the

electrostatic force of repulsion.

Electric potential is a scalar quantity. Unit of electric potential is volt (or) JC–1.
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POTENTIAL DUE TO A POINT CHARGE

Q
+1C ∞
r P R
O
dx
x

Consider a point charge Q at the origin. Let P be a point at distance r from the charge Q.

At some intermediate point R, the electrostatic force on a unit positive charge is

→ Q .1 ∧
F = x
4πεo x 2
∧
where x is the unit vector along OR.

Work done in moving unit positive charge through dx is

Q
dW = – dx
4πεo x 2

The negative sign indicates that the work is done against the electrostatic force of repulsion.

Total work done in moving unit positive charge from infinity to the point P is

r r r
Q Q 1 Q −2
W= – ∫ 4 πεo x 2
dx = –
4πε o ∫ x 2
dx = –
4πε o ∫x dx
∞ ∞ ∞

r r r r
Q  x − 2 +1  Q  x −1  Q  1 Q 1 
W=–   = –   = –  − x  = 4πε  x 
4πε o  − 2 + 1  4πε o  − 1  4πε o  ∞ o  ∞
∞ ∞

Q 1 1  Q
W=  −  =
4πε o  r ∞  4πεor

This work done is the potential at P due to the charge Q.

Q
V=
4πεor

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The graph shows how the electrostatic potential ( ∝ 1/r ) and the electrostatic field ( ∝

1/r2 ) varies with r.

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POTENTIAL DUE TO A SYSTEM OF CHARGES

Consider a system of charges q1, q2, q3, ....... qn as shown in the Figure.

q5
q1
r5P q4
r1P
r4P

P q3
r3P
r2P
q2

The potential V1 at P due to the charge q1 is

q1
V1 =
4 πεor1P

where r1P is the distance between q1 and P.

Similarly, the potential V2 at P due to q2 and V3 due to q3 are given by

q2 q3
V2 = ; V3 =
4πε or2 P 4πε or3 P

where r2P and r3P are the distances at P from the charges q2 and q3 respectively.

By the superposition principle, the potential V at P due to the total charge configuration is the

algebraic sum of the potentials due to the individual charges.

V = V1 + V2 + ......... + Vn

q1 q2 qn
V= + + ......... +
4 πεor1P 4πε or2 P 4πε ornP

1  q1 q q 
V=  + 2 + ......... + n 
4 πε o  r1P r2 P rnP 

n
1 qi
V=
4 πε o ∑r
i =1 ip

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POTENTIAL DUE TO AN ELECTRIC DIPOLE

r1

+q
r
a
θ r2
2a p O

–q

Potential at P due to the charge +q is

q
V+q =
4πε or1

Potential at P due to the charge –q is

q
V–q = −
4πε or2

Total Potential at P due to an electric dipole is

V = V+q + V–q

q  q 
V= +  − 
4πε or1  4 πε r
o 2 

q 1 1
V=  − 
4πεo  r1 r2 

where r1 and r2 are the distances of the point P from +q and –q, respectively.

By Cosine law,

r12 = r2 + a2 – 2arcosθ
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 a 2 2ar cos θ   a 2 2a cos θ 
r12 = r2  1 + 2 − 2
 = r2  1 + 2 − 
 r r   r r 

a2
Since r >> a, is very small, it can be neglected
r2

 2a cos θ 
r12 = r2  1 − 
 r 

1/ 2
 2a cos θ 
r1 = r  1 − 
 r 

− 1/ 2
1 1 2a cos θ 
= 1 − 
r1 r  r 

Using the Binomial theorem and retaining terms upto the first order in a/r

1 1 a cos θ 
= 1 + 
r1 r  r 

Similarly,

r22 = r2 + a2 – 2arcos(180 – θ)

r22 = r2 + a2 + 2arcosθ

2  a 2 2ar cos θ   a 2 2a cos θ 

r =
2 r2  1 + 2 + 2
 = r2  1 + 2 + 
 r r   r r 

 2a cos θ 
r22 = r2  1 + 
 r 

1/ 2
 2a cos θ 
r2 = r  1 + 
 r 

− 1/ 2
1 1  2a cos θ 
= 1 + 
r2 r  r 

1 1 a cos θ 
= 1 − 
r2 r  r 
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q 1 1
V=  − 
4πεo  r1 r2 

q 1 a cos θ  1  a cos θ  

V=   1 +  − 1 − 
4πεo r r  r r  

q 1  a cos θ a cos θ 
V= 1 + −1+ 
4πεo r  r r 

q 1  2a cos θ 
V=  
4πεo r  r 

q 2a cos θ
V=
4πεo r2

p cos θ
V= [since p = q(2a)]
4πε or 2

→ ∧
1 p .r
V=
4πε o r 2

Special cases:

Case (i): If the point P lies on the axial line of the dipole on the side of +q, then θ = 0o

p cos θ p cos 0o p
V= 2
= 2
=
4πε or 4πε or 4πε or 2

Case (ii): If the point P lies on the axial line of the dipole on the side of –q, then θ = 180o

p cos θ p cos 180o p

V= 2
= 2
= −
4πε or 4 πε or 4πε or 2

Case (iii): If the point P lies on the equatorial line of the dipole, then θ = 90o,

p cos θ p cos 90o

V= = =0
4πε or 2 4πε or 2

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ELECTRIC POTENTIAL AT AN AXIAL POINT OF A DIPOLE

Consider an electric dipole consisting of two point charges –q and +q and separated by

distance 2a. Let P be a point on the axis of the dipole at a distance r from its centre O.

A B P
–q a O a +q
r

(r–a)

(r+a)

Electric potential at a point P due to the dipole is

1 −q 1 q
V = V–q + V+q = +
4πε o AP 4πε o BP

1 −q 1 q q  −1 1 
V= + =  + 
4πε o (r + a ) 4πε o (r − a ) 4πε o  (r + a ) (r − a ) 

q  1 1  q  (r + a ) − (r − a ) 
V=  −  =  
4πε o  (r 2 − a 2 ) 
 (r − a ) (r + a )  4πε o  

q r+a−r+a  q  2a 
V=  =  
4πε o  (r 2 − a 2 )  4πε  (r 2 − a 2 ) 
  o  

1  p 
V=   (Q p = q x 2a)
4πε o  (r 2 − a 2 ) 
 

For r >> a,

1 p
V=
4πε o r 2

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ELECTRIC POTENTIAL AT AN EQUATORIAL POINT OF A DIPOLE

Consider an electric dipole consisting of two point charges –q & +q and separated by distance

2a. Let P be a point on the equatorial line of the dipole at a distance r from its centre O.

r2 + a2 r2 + a2
r

A B
–q a O a +q

2a

Electric potential at a point P due to the dipole is

V = V–q + V+q

1 −q 1 q
V= +
4πε o AP 4πε o BP

1 q 1 q
V=– + =0
4πε o 2
r +a 2 4πε o 2
r +a 2

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Important contrasting features of electric potential of a dipole from that due to a

single charge

p cos θ
Electric potential due to a dipole, V =
4πε or 2

q
Electric potential due to a point charge, V =
4πεor

(1) The potential due to a dipole depends not just on r but also on the angle between

→ →
the position vector r and the dipole moment vector p .

→
(However it is axially symmetric about p . That is, if you rotate the position

→ →
vector r about p , keeping θ fixed, the points corresponding to P on the cone so

generated will have the same potential as at P)

(2) The electric dipole potential falls off at large distance as 1/r2, not as 1/r,

characteristic of the potential due to a single charge.

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