Question

The definition of electric field is following: The electric field is defined at each point in space as the force per unit charge that would be experienced by a vanishingly small positive test charge if held stationary at that point.

The definition of electric potential is: The electric potential is defined as the amount of work energy needed per unit of electric charge to move this charge from a reference point to the specific point in an electric field. And it is expressed in by this formula V(r)=∫CE∙drV(r)=∫CE∙dr where C is an arbitrary path from reference point torr.
Here Electric field is force per unit charge experienced by point charge at rest. But is it reasonable to use electric field for calculating the work needed per unit of electric charge to move this charge from one point to another point?

Answer 1

Electric field represents the force per unit charge, while electric potential measures the work energy needed to move a charge. The electric field is used to calculate the force on a test charge, while the electric potential is used to calculate the work needed to move a charge from one point to another.

Step-by-step explanation:

Electric Field and Electric Potential

An electric field represents the force per unit charge experienced by a small positive test charge placed at a specific point in space. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. On the other hand, electric potential is the amount of work energy needed per unit charge to move a charge from a reference point to a specific point in an electric field. It is a scalar quantity, meaning it only has magnitude.

While the electric field is used to calculate the force on a test charge, the electric potential is used to calculate the work needed to move the charge from one point to another in an electric field. The electric potential is calculated using the formula V(r) = ∫C E⋅dr, where C is an arbitrary path from the reference point to the specific point.