Question

Can someone explain to me the difference between potential and potential energy in details?And,work done in a conservative force field is the difference in potential or potential energy?

Answer 1

Potential basically tells us the ability of an object to do some work .

And Potential energy is the amount of energy it acquires due to that Potential difference.

Explanation:

"NOTE" - Mostly we talk of Potential difference rather than Absolute Potential because it is a relative quantity.

Potential Energy is the energy which arises due to the difference in Potential.

Important observation :-

• Each object in the universe tries to attain low POTENTIAL state.
• That's why electric charges (+ve or -ve) move from region of high potential to low potential.
• Objects fall toward earth in the direction of decreasing POTENTIAL
• Electrons tend to be near the nucleus of the atom `ie` in the region of least potential.

# Potential energy is a relative quantity, it depends on where we choose the potential energy to be Zero (Datum).

    This can be different in different respects for example :-

• Due to difference in vertical height , the Gravitational Potential changes and so does the Gravitational potential energy and this Gravitational potential energy is given by the formula :

• `PE_g=mgh` ; where `m` is the mass of the object ; `g` is the acceleration due to gravity and `h` is the height above the Datum line (which is the floor/ground normally).

![http://www.slideshare.net/nlahoud/work-energy-and-power-30286871]()

• The relation between the Force and Potential is :-
  `vecF=-vecgradU` where `F` is the Force and `U` is the potential.

• In case of a charged parallel plate Capacitor we can see that due to accumulated opposite charges on the plates ; a Potential difference is generated ; `ie` it has ability to do some work and the amount of work it can do is known as the Potential Energy stored inside that capacitor.

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The answer is getting quite long, so I can't write more examples ; I hope it helps :)