What is the difference between potential energy and potential?

Potential is the potential energy per unit at a certain location. For example in a electric field the electric potential energy depends on both the location of the charge in the field and the charge we are considering. Electric potential ignores the charge and only cares about the location, this is why it is a unit, in this case one coulomb of charge. Think of a single unit of mass/charge being moved into the field, that is the potential.

Answered by Edward T. Physics tutor

1828 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Please see below.


A piece of card is released from rest at a height of 0.5m above a light gate. It falls freely and a computer measures the velocity as it passes through the light gate to be 3.10m/s. What is the acceleration due to gravity measured by this experiment?


A ball with radius 10cm is filled with an ideal gas at pressure 2*(10)^5Pa and temperature 300K. The volume of the gas is changed at constant pressure so that the radius of the ball is reduced with 1cm. Find the amount of gas and the new temperature


What is the critical angle of a beam of light leaving a transparent material with a refractive index of 2?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo
Cookie Preferences