Equipotential surface

(electricity) A surface on which the electric potential is the same at every point.
(geophysics) A surface characterized by the potential being constant everywhere on it for the attractive forces concerned.
(mechanics) A surface which is always normal to the lines of force of a field and on which the potential is everywhere the same.

Equipotential surfaces are surfaces of constant scalar potential. They are used to visualize an (n)-dimensional scalar potential function in (n-1) dimensional space. The gradient of the potential, denoting the direction of greatest increase, is perpendicular to the surface.

The term is used in electrostatics, fluid mechanics, and geodesy.

See also

• potential flow

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