Potential Definition and 1000 Threads

  1. R

    Expanding potential in Legendre polynomials (or spherical harmonics)

    Using the generating function for the legendre polynomial: $$ \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} P_{n}(x) t^{n}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{1-2 x t+t^{2}}} $$ It's possible to expand the coulomb potential in a basis of legendre polynomials (or even spherical harmonic ) like this: $$ \begin{aligned} &\frac{1}{\left.\mid...
  2. V

    Confusing definition of electrical potential energy

    If the book had said that electrical potential energy is the negative of work done by electrical force on a charge, then the definition would be very clear and easy to understand. So, why should the book give this confusing definition instead.
  3. S

    B L = 0 in the equation for effective potential energy?

    Hi, What would happen if I set L in this equation to zero? I can have an L that is zero right?
  4. R

    Misunderstanding of Gravitational Potential Energy

    Here is my solution, which is correct. The tilt of the water at the top can be described in terms of ##x## and ##y## as ##y = \frac{2y_0}{L}x##. The height of the water at any given x is then equal to ##h + \frac{2y_0}{L}x## where ##x \in [-\frac{L}{2}, \frac{L}{2}]##. So the potential...
  5. T

    Exponential potential energy state diagram

    It is my second "energy state diagram problem" and I would want to know if I am thinking correctly. First I have done some function analysis to get a glimpse of the plot: - no roots but ##\lim\limits_{x\to-\infty}U(x)=\lim\limits_{x\to+\infty}U(x)=0## - y interception: ##U(0)=-U_0## - even...
  6. ergospherical

    I Gravitational potential of an ellipsoid

    There is a formula for the potential ##\varphi## outside of a homogenous ellipsoid of density ##\mu## in Landau\begin{align*} \varphi = -\pi \mu abck \int_{\xi}^{\infty} \left(1- \dfrac{x^2}{a^2 + s} + \dfrac{y^2}{b^2 + s} + \dfrac{z^2}{c^2+s} \right) \frac{ds}{R_s} \ \ \ (1) \end{align*}where...
  7. M

    The Potential of Sci-Fi Weapons: Could We Build Them?

    What do we think re the most powerful sci-fi weapons are that we could realistically envision becoming reality one day. I am wondering if we will ever be able to build anything more powerful than matter / anti-matter explosions like Star Trek's Torpedo's.
  8. P

    I Is there a negative sign in front of the centrifugal potential energy?

    In orbital mechanics, the effective potential is given by ##\frac {1} {2} m r^2 w^2##, which can be expressed in terms of angular momentum ##L## which is conserved. Yet, https://web.njit.edu/~gary/321/Lecture17.html apparently shows the centrifugal potential as the negative of the above...
  9. F

    B Tangential part of the potential electric field

    Good afternoon to everybody. I have may be a stupid question according to the tangential part of the electric field near the surface of the conductor. Why is it zero? The normal part is zero on the distance of Debye cause of screening. But is this situation the same for horizontal direction...
  10. T

    I How a Battery creates a Potential difference in an electrical current

    Hello, I'm seriously confused on several things around how concretely batteries create potential difference in order to force the electrons circulate trought the circuit wire. Almost all explanations I found (wikipedia, diverse tutorials, intro scripts, etc.) explain it in nearly the same...
  11. juardilag

    Help with a modified Kepler potential

    I have tried to solve the problem through the use of a rotating reference frame, since I should have as a solution an orbit given by the Kepler potential, but I haven't come up with anything. Any ideas ?
  12. J

    Membrane potential explained: Nernst potential

    Good evening, I got a seriously problem at understanding the membrane potential for ions in a cell. Particulary, i don't understand the case for example for ions with a charge of 2 or higher. I take a look on two scenarios: If you got an ion like calium and got a concentration ratio of 1:10...
  13. LCSphysicist

    Atomic Van der Waal repulsion and Lennard Jones potential

    Hello there. Do you know any paper that derive the Lennard Jones potential ##V = \epsilon [(\delta / r)^{12}-2(\delta / r)^6]## theorically? If you know a book instead, let me know. Thank you
  14. P

    I Confusion over the "centrifugal potential energy"

    I understand that potential energies are energies relative to reference points. For example, gravitational/electrical potential energy is relative to a point at infinity. What is the reference point for centrifugal potential energies? In the case of planetary orbits, must the reference point...
  15. Leo Liu

    Equation connecting potential and potential energy of a distribution

    The equation below allows us to calculate the potential energy of a continuous distribution of electric charge. $$U=\frac {\epsilon_0} 2 \iiint\limits_\text{Entire electric field}\vec E^2\,dV$$ In my textbook, the author states $$U=\frac 1 {8\pi\epsilon_0}\iiint\limits_\text{Entire electric...
  16. Dario56

    I Why Does Molecular Potential Energy Curve Have That Specific Shape?

    Molecular potential energy of hydrogen in dependence with atomic distance for bonding orbital is given by picture below. We can see that at large distances force between atoms is attractive and potential energy drops to minimum which corresponds to bond energy and length. This part of the...
  17. F

    I Classical/empirical potential for electron-ion interactions

    LJ potential is an empirical potential function used between 2 neutral atoms. Is there any classical/empirical potential for electron-ion interactions as well? Different from Coulomb potential, this one if any should be able to capture the mechanism of a valence electron leaving an atom and of...
  18. V

    B Potential energy in standing wave compared to traveling wave

    From hyperphysics, "The unique point in the case of the traveling wave in the string is the element of the string that is at the maximum displacement as the wave passes. That element has a zero instantaneous velocity perpendicular to the straight string configuration, and as the wave goes "over...
  19. E

    Finding the potential difference between 2 points in a circuit

    is this method accepted? 2V is split equally between the 2 5kohms resistor because they are of equal resistance. 2V=5kohms 2kohms= 0.8V 3kohms=1.2V. p.d across P and Q= 1V-0.8V=0.2V
  20. D

    Potential outside a grounded conductor with point charge inside

    Potential inside is given as in ,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_image_charges, which is the sum of excitation and induced potential. When the charge is outside it is easy to argue potential is zero in the sphere. But when we have charge inside and image outside, what is potential...
  21. F

    Kinetic and potential energy of a particle attracted by charged sphere

    Hello, I have a particle at point A with charge ##q_A##, and an unmovable sphere of radius ##R_B## at point B with a volumic charge density ##\rho##. The distance from particle A to the centre of the sphere in B is ##r##. Both objects have opposed charges, so, the particle in A, initially at...
  22. P

    Integrating from R to r: Potential Contribution & Reasoning

    The potential contribution from R > 0 is simple. My next step is to integrate from R to r. With regards to the integration from R to r, the 2nd method gives a potential contribution that is the negative of the 1st method. What is the reason?
  23. Dario56

    Definition of Absolute Electrode Potential

    Hey guys, I have two questions: 1) I thought absolute electrode potential is galvani potential difference at the interface. However, it is given by this equation in John Bockris - Modern Electrochemistry: $$ E(abs) = ^M\Delta^S\phi - \mu_e^M/F $$ First term is galvani potential difference on...
  24. Dario56

    Understanding the Role of a Voltmeter in Electrode Potential Measurement

    Voltmeter is an instrument which measures electric potential difference between two points. When measuring electrode potential of some redox system (vs SHE for example), it is said that voltmeter reading contains sum of all potential differences present in a cell. This includes all...
  25. S

    MHB Calculate the Length & Potential Energy of a Sliding Box on a Ramp

    A ramp rises 10cm for every 80cm along the sloping surface. A box of mass 50 kg slides down the ramp starting from rest at the top of the ramp. The coefficient of friction between the ramp and the box is 0.03 and no other resistance acts. The box is traveling at 2 m/s when it reaches the bottom...
  26. S

    MHB Decrease in Potential Energy of a Sliding Tile

    A tile of mass 1.2 kg slides 3m down a roof that makes an angle of 35 degree to the horizontal. Find the decrease in potential energy. Iam getting the ans 24.8J PE = mgh= 1.2× 12 sin 35 ×3 The ans in the textbook is 20.6J
  27. jaumzaum

    I What's the electric potential of the Earth?

    I was wondering, we constantly assume the reference of zero potential is the surface of the Earth. But if we consider the reference to be the infinity, what would be the electric potential of the Earth? As Faraday says, the Earth is charged with a -580 kC of negative charge. If we consider...
  28. oscarrod5

    Exploring Phase Potential Difference in 3-Phase Power

    I understand phase voltage (phase to neutral) well, but I'm still confused by what exactly the potential difference is between any 2 phases in 3 phase power. If you were to try to find the potential difference where 2 sine wave phases cross, then at that instantaneous point, the potential...
  29. Dario56

    I How is Potential Difference Created in Electrolytes?

    When we have a resistor in electronic conductors, potential difference is created via surface charges which accumulate on conductor surface. What about electrolytes? I am not sure if electrolytes can create potential difference in the same way since surface in electrolytic conductors isn't as...
  30. mcas

    Finding Energy in FCC Lattice Using Weak Potential Method

    I have a problem with finding the energy of an electron in an FCC lattice using the weak potential method. We did that for a one-dimensional lattice during class, and I know that there was a double degeneration at the boundaries of the first Brillouin Zone. However, I'm not sure what...
  31. B

    Gravitational Potential In the Field Caused by Two Masses

    I got (a) but have no idea about b. Potential fields aren't just additive all the time are they?
  32. itchybrain

    Question about potential energy: gravity and a vertical spring

    Let's say a mass is gently laid on top of a massless spring. The spring compresses. There is a change in the height of the mass. Therefore, there is a change in the gravitational potential energy: a decrease. The compressed spring now has potential energy (it has gained energy). The change...
  33. S

    How does gravity convert potential energy to kinetic?

    If I hold a ball above the ground, it has potential energy. Once gravity pulls on it, it becomes kinetic. What is gravity and how does it convert one kind of energy to another?
  34. yucheng

    Is the potential energy of an ion in a lattice ##U_0## or ##U_0/2##?

    Potential energy in a two-dimensional crystal Consider the potential energy of a given ion due to the full infinite plane. Call it##U_{0}##. If we sum over all ions (or a very large number##N##) to find the total##U##of these ions, we obtain##N U_{0}##. However, we have counted each pair twice...
  35. R

    How Can I Analyze Particle Movement Given Potential Energy and Force Function?

    Knowing that ##F(x)=-\mathrm{d}V(x)/\mathrm{d}x##, I found that ##F(x)=-2.4x^3+1.35x^2+8x-3##. But it was the only thing I could find. How can I analyze what will be the type of movement with the information presented by the question statement?
  36. yucheng

    How does metal sphere determine the potential of the plane by symmetry?

    The answer given states that: The entire x-y plane is obviously at the same potential since all the fields are strictly perpendicular to it (draw a diagram if youre confused). Since we choose the sphere to be at potential zero, the point on the sphere which cuts the x-y plane is also at zero...
  37. R

    Calculating Potential Energy from Force for Non-Linear Systems

    If I have a force that behaves according to the formula ##F(x)=\alpha x-\beta x^3##, how can I get the potential energy from it? I know that: $$-\frac{\mathrm{d}V(x)}{\mathrm{d}x}=F(x),$$ but what about the limits of the integration?
  38. yucheng

    What's wrong? Electric potential of a point on a ring

    So I have a ring(red) of uniform charge ##\lambda## per unit length, and I want to calculate the electric potential at the origin (actually on any point of the ring). It is clear that the ring is given by the equation $$r=2 R \sin \theta$$, in polar coordinates, where R is the radius of the...
  39. L

    A State in the infinite potential well

    General state of the infinite potential well is that ##L^2[0,L]##, where ##L## is well width, or ##C^{\infty}_0(\mathbb{R})##?
  40. S

    Finding the potential function of a vector field

    Hello! So I need to find the potential function of this Vector field $$ \begin{matrix} 2xy -yz\\ x^2-xz\\ 2z-xy \end{matrix} $$ Now first I tried to check if rotation is not ,since that is mandatory for the potentialfunction to exist.For that I used the jacobi matrix,and it was not...
  41. patric44

    What is the number of confined states in these potential wells?

    hi guys i came across this question about the maximum and minimum number of bound states that can be confined in these potential wells 1- infinite potential well 2- semi infinite potential well (from one side) 3 - finite potential well i think i have a good idea about the minimum number of...
  42. Arman777

    A Obtaining the Orbit equation (Effective Potential) from the Newtonian metric

    We can write the Newtonian metric in the form of $$ds^2 = -(1 - 2M/r)dt^2 + (1+2M/r)[dr^2 + r^2d\Omega^2]$$ In order to obtain the orbit equation I have written the constant of motion, $$e = (1 - 2M/r)(\frac{dt}{d\tau})$$ and $$l = r^2sin^2(\theta)(\frac{d\phi}{d\tau})$$ I can divide the...
  43. Arman777

    A Solving Linearized EFE for Newtonian Potential Under Lorentz Gauge

    Under the Lorentz Gauge the Einstein Field Equations are given as $$G^{\alpha \beta} = -\frac{1}{2}\square \bar{h}^{\alpha \beta}$$ Then the linearized EFE becomes, $$\square \bar{h}^{\mu\nu} = -16 \pi T^{\mu\nu}$$ For the later parts, I ll share pictures from the book I have couple of...
  44. Vash25

    Gravitational potential energy question - normal force on us

    Hi, If we are standing on the ground, the Earth applies a force equal to our weight to us, but why do we feel a greater force when we fall to the ground from a certain height? Our weight is the same along this small height because our mass and acceleration are the same and, even so, the normal...
  45. joneall

    A Justification for phi^4 potential

    My understanding is at the level of Griffiths's Introduction to quantum mechanics or Robinson's Symmetry and the standard model, i.e., using the phi^4 potential to explain the effects of global and local symmetry breaking, Goldstone and Higgs bosons. These books and others use a potential of...
  46. Vash25

    Gravitational potential energy question -- Ojbect sitting on the Earth

    Good day, If I consider my system to be an object and the earth, and the object is on the surface of the earth, then the system will have gravitational potential energy. Why couldn't I say that only the object (considering it as my system) has gravitational potential energy? Thanks
  47. JD_PM

    A Exploring Planck 2015 Results on Power Law Potential Models

    I am reading Planck 2015 results. In particular, I focused on "Power law potentials" subsection. The issues I have are 1. I do not understand why the validity of the model can be determined by the value of the ##B## mode. 2. Why the ##B## mode values ##\ln B = −11.6## and ##\ln B = −23.3## for...
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