In: Physics
What are three possible locations at which the electrostatic potential of a point can be defined as having a value of zero?
In classical electromagnetism, the electric potential (a scalar quantity denoted by ?(Phi), ?E or V and also called the electric field potential or the electrostatic potential) at a point of space is the amount of electric potential energy that a unitary point charge would have when located at that point. The electric potential of a point may also be defined as the work done in carrying a unit positive charge from infinity to that point.
The electric potential at a point is equal to the electric potential energy (measured in joules) of any charged particle at that location divided by the charge (measured in coulombs) of the particle. Since the charge of the test particle has been divided out, the electric potential is a "property" related only to the electric field itself and not the test particle. The electric potential can be calculated at a point in either a static (time-invariant) electric field or in a dynamic (varying with time) electric field at a specific time, and has the units of joules per coulomb (J C