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Is an electric field a potential field?

Updated: 4/28/2022
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no electric field is not a potential field .ELECTRIC FIELD IS A SCALAR QUANTITY WHERE AS POTENTIAL IS THE VECTOR QUANTITY. NO SCALAR QUANTITY HAS A FIELD SO THERE IS NO RELATION BETWEEN ELECTRIC FIELD AND POTENTIAL OR IN OTHER WORD POTENTIAL HAS NO FIELD

<<>> An electric field is a vector field, because it has magnitude and direction. A pair of charged parallel plates has an electric field between them directed from the negative to the positive plate.

The electric field is the gradient of the potential, which is another field but a scalar one. A field is just a quantity with a value that depends on positon. The potential is measured in volts and if one plate is grounded and the other at positive potential V, the potential rises from zero to V as the position changes from the lower plate to the top one.

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Q: Is an electric field a potential field?
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If potential is constant throughout a given region of space can you say that electric field is zero in that region?

If the electric field is zero, the electric potential is a constant value, but it does not tell you what that value is. All the electric field tells you is how the electric potential changes within the region you are looking at. If the electric potential at one end of a cylindrical region is 7 V and the electric field is zero within the whole cylinder, then the electric potential is 7 V at the other end, or somewhere in the middle, or on the side, and so forth. An electric field of zero tells you the potential does not change, but doesn't say anything about what it is outside of the region you're looking at.


How can the electrical potential energy of a charged particle in an electric field be increased?

THIS IS A GOOD QUESTION IF WE PLACE THE CHARGE IN THE ELECTRIC FIELD AT A DISTANCE R FROM THE ELECTRIC FIELD AND PLACED THE ANOTHER POINT CHARGE AT A ANOTHER DISTANCE r WHERE R IS GRATER THAN THE SMALL R THEN THE ELECTRIC FIELD AT r IS MORE THAN THE ELECTRIC FIELD AT POINT R.ORWE CAN SAY THAT IF THE CHARGE IS PLACED IN THE DIRECTION OF ELECTRIC FIELD THAN ITS ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL ENERGY WILL DECREASE OR WHEN IN DIRECTION OPPOSITE THAN VICEVERSA


If a proton moved from 0 V potential to 5 V potential would its potential energy increase or decrease?

Electric field points from high potential to low potential. Positive particles had tendency to follow electric field. If you are moving the particle against this tendency you are doing work, and this work give more potential energy to the particle.


Electricity is dependent upon what?

The magnitude of the electric potential is dependent upon the particle's charge and the electric field strength.


What are the 3 types potential energy?

There are several types of potential energy, not just 3. The following are probably the most important ones:Gravitational potential energy, i.e., the potential energy in a gravitational field;The potential energy in an electric field;The potential energy in a magnetic field;Elastic energy;Chemical energy;Nuclear energy.

Related questions

Relationship between electric field intensity and electric potential?

Electric field intensity is related to electric potential by the equation E = -dV/dx, where E is the electric field intensity, V is the electric potential, and x is the distance in the direction of the field. Essentially, the electric field points in the direction of decreasing potential, and the magnitude of the field is related to the rate at which the potential changes.


If potential is constant throughout a given region of space can you say that electric field is zero in that region?

If the electric field is zero, the electric potential is a constant value, but it does not tell you what that value is. All the electric field tells you is how the electric potential changes within the region you are looking at. If the electric potential at one end of a cylindrical region is 7 V and the electric field is zero within the whole cylinder, then the electric potential is 7 V at the other end, or somewhere in the middle, or on the side, and so forth. An electric field of zero tells you the potential does not change, but doesn't say anything about what it is outside of the region you're looking at.


What is electric potential dependent upon?

The magnitude of the electric potential is dependent upon the particle's charge and the electric field strength.


Do electrons move up or down a potential gradient?

The potential gradient gives the electric field intensity E at point in electric field which is directed from high to low potential. An electron being a negative charge particle therefore will tend to move from low potential to high potential, hence will move up the electric field


Why electric field is negative gradient of electric potential?

This is because potential decreases if we move further from a positive plate


Do electron moves up or fall down a potential gradient?

The potential gradient gives the electric field intensity E at point in electric field which is directed from high to low potential. An electron being a negative charge particle therefore will tend to move from low potential to high potential, hence will move up the electric field


What happens to electric potential when the electric field is increased?

the electrical potential is also increased;electricity does not travel through wire but around the outside,which is why transmission lines are bare


How can the electrical potential energy of a charged particle in an electric field be increased?

THIS IS A GOOD QUESTION IF WE PLACE THE CHARGE IN THE ELECTRIC FIELD AT A DISTANCE R FROM THE ELECTRIC FIELD AND PLACED THE ANOTHER POINT CHARGE AT A ANOTHER DISTANCE r WHERE R IS GRATER THAN THE SMALL R THEN THE ELECTRIC FIELD AT r IS MORE THAN THE ELECTRIC FIELD AT POINT R.ORWE CAN SAY THAT IF THE CHARGE IS PLACED IN THE DIRECTION OF ELECTRIC FIELD THAN ITS ELECTROSTATIC POTENTIAL ENERGY WILL DECREASE OR WHEN IN DIRECTION OPPOSITE THAN VICEVERSA


What determines the direction of electric field?

The potential difference. The electrons flows from a lower potential to a higher potential. The electric current flows in the opposite direction. The electric field's direction is always from a higher potential to a lower potential. Its kind of like a waterfall. The water always falls down not up. It goes from a higher potential to a lower potential.


What is the electric potential when the electric field is zero?

any gadget won't work, as no current would be able to pass due to lack of electric potential difference


The movement of electrons results in what kind of activity?

A chemical reaction. An electric field gradient ( electric potential)


If a proton moved from 0 V potential to 5 V potential would its potential energy increase or decrease?

Electric field points from high potential to low potential. Positive particles had tendency to follow electric field. If you are moving the particle against this tendency you are doing work, and this work give more potential energy to the particle.