9.2.A—Describe the electric potential due to a configuration of charged objects

Describe the electric potential due to a configuration of charged objects.

• Electric potential describes the electric potential energy per unit charge at a point in space.
• Expressions for the electric potential of charge distributions can be found using integration and the principle of superposition. Relevant equation:
  • i. The electric potential for single point charge is
  • ii. The electric potential due to multiple point charges can be determined by the principle of scalar superposition of the electric potential due to each of the point charges. Relevant equation:
• The electric potential difference between two points is the change in electric potential energy per unit charge when a test charge is moved between the two points. Relevant equation:
• Electric potential difference may also result from chemical processes that cause positive and negative charges to separate, such as in a battery. BOUNDARY STATEMENT AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism only expects students to use calculus to find the electric potential resulting from the following charge distributions and locations: an infinitely long, uniformly charged wire or cylinder at a distance from its central axis, a thin ring of charge at a location along the axis of the ring, a semicircular arc or part of a semicircular arc at its center, and a finite wire or line charge at a point collinear with the line charge or at a location along its perpendicular bisector.