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    Electric Potential, Poisson and Lapalace Equations

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    Zadock Maloba
    The document discusses electrical potential and the relationship between electric field and electric potential. It defines electrical potential difference as the work done moving a unit charge between two points, and gives the units of volts. It then explains that the electric field E can be calculated if the electric potential V is known, using the relationship E = -∇V. Finally, it introduces Poisson's equation that relates electric potential to charge density, and the Laplace equation that applies when there is no charge density.

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    Electric Potential, Poisson and Lapalace Equations

    Uploaded by

    Zadock Maloba
    80 views3 pages
    The document discusses electrical potential and the relationship between electric field and electric potential. It defines electrical potential difference as the work done moving a unit charge between two points, and gives the units of volts. It then explains that the electric field E can be calculated if the electric potential V is known, using the relationship E = -∇V. Finally, it introduces Poisson's equation that relates electric potential to charge density, and the Laplace equation that applies when there is no charge density.

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    Electric Potential, Poisson and Lapalace equations

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    The document discusses electrical potential and the relationship between electric field and electric potential. It defines electrical potential difference as the work done moving a unit charge between two points, and gives the units of volts. It then explains that the electric field E can be calculated if the electric potential V is known, using the relationship E = -∇V. Finally, it introduces Poisson's equation that relates electric potential to charge density, and the Laplace equation that applies when there is no charge density.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    80 views3 pages

    Electric Potential, Poisson and Lapalace Equations

    Uploaded by

    Zadock Maloba
    The document discusses electrical potential and the relationship between electric field and electric potential. It defines electrical potential difference as the work done moving a unit charge between two points, and gives the units of volts. It then explains that the electric field E can be calculated if the electric potential V is known, using the relationship E = -∇V. Finally, it introduces Poisson's equation that relates electric potential to charge density, and the Laplace equation that applies when there is no charge density.

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    ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL

    +q +1

    B A

    Consider an isolated point charge+𝑞 lying at point 𝑂. A and B are points in the
    electric field. Let 𝑊𝐴𝐵 be the work done by an external agent moving a unit charge
    from point A to B. We may define the potential difference between two points in
    an electric field as the amount of work done in moving a unit charge from one
    point to the other against electrical forces or
    𝑊𝐴𝐵 = 𝑉𝐵 − 𝑉𝐴
    where 𝑉𝐴 and 𝑉𝐵 stands for potential at points A and B respectively. The SI unit of
    potential difference is the volt.
    The potential difference between two points is 1𝑉 if 1 joule of work is done in
    moving 1 coulomb of charge from one point to the other against electrical forces.
    If A is at infinity then 𝑉𝐴 = 0 and 𝑊 = 𝑉𝐵 where 𝑊 is the work done in moving a
    unit positive charge from point infinity to point B. 𝑉𝐵 is the potential at point B.

    Relation between Electric Field and Electric


    Potential
    We can calculate the Electric field 𝐸⃗ if potential function 𝑉 is known throughout
    some region of space. Consider two neighboring points 𝐴(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) and 𝐵(𝑥 +
    𝑑𝑥, 𝑦 + 𝑑𝑥, 𝑧 + 𝑑𝑧)

    1
    E
    dl
    B
    A

    Let 𝑑𝑉 be the change in potential in going from 𝐴 to 𝐵. Then


    𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉
    Let 𝑑𝑉 = 𝜕𝑥 𝑑𝑥 + 𝜕𝑦 𝑑𝑦 + 𝜕𝑧 𝑑𝑧

    This can be expressed in terms of the dot product


    𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉 𝜕𝑉
    𝑑𝑉 = (𝒂𝒙 + 𝒂𝒚 + 𝒂𝒛 ) (𝒂𝒙 𝒅𝒙 + 𝒂𝒚 𝒅𝒚 + 𝒂𝒛 𝒅𝒛)
    𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
    where (𝒂𝒙 𝒅𝒙 + 𝒂𝒚 𝒅𝒚 + 𝒂𝒛 𝒅𝒛) is the displacement vector 𝒅𝒍 between A and B.
    Thus
    𝑑𝑉 = ∇. 𝒅𝒍 (𝟏)
    The work done by an external agent in moving a test charge 𝑞 from A to B along
    ⃗⃗⃗
    𝑑𝑙 is
    𝑑𝑊 = −𝑭. 𝑑𝑙 = −𝑞𝑬. 𝒅𝒍
    Or
    𝑑𝑊
    = −𝑬. 𝒅𝒍
    𝑞

    𝑑𝑊
    But by definition is the potential difference between points A and B thus
    𝑞

    𝑑𝑉 = −𝑬. 𝒅𝒍 (𝟐)
    Comparing 1 and 2

    2
    𝐸 = −∇𝑉

    Poisson’s and Laplace Equations


    Poisson’s equation: Differential form of Gauss law states that the
    divergence of the electric field 𝑬 at any point is given by
    𝜌
    ∇. 𝑬 = (1)
    𝜀0
    where 𝜌 is the volume charge density. If 𝐸 and 𝑉 are the electric field
    and electric potential at any point respectively, then we have the relation
    𝐸 = −∇𝑉 (2)
    Substituting equation 2 into equation 1 we obtain
    𝜌
    ∇2 𝑉 = (3)
    𝜀0
    This is known as Poissons equation. It expresses the relation between the potential
    𝑉 and the charge density 𝜌 at any point in electric field space. Any static electric
    field must satisfy the relationship.

    Laplace equation:
    In a region where there are no free charges (𝜌 = 0) the Poisson’s equation reduces
    to:
    ∇2 𝑉 = 0 (4)
    This is called Laplace equation. This equation applies to the particular case where
    all the charges are distributed on surfaces of conducting bodies so that the volume
    charge density is zero at all points. The electrostatic potential function in the space
    between the conductor and outside are found by this equation.

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