Physics › Section N · Electric potential and capacitance › Topic N.2
Potential in a uniform field
Connect a battery across two parallel metal plates and a uniform electric field appears between them. In that simple set-up the link between voltage and field is just a division, and it explains everything from electron guns to sparks.
In this topic
- Two ways to describe the same field
- From work to E = V/d
- Volts per metre
- The field points downhill in potential
- Worked example: an electron between plates
- Worked example: a point between the plates
- Energy gained across the plates
- Breakdown: when air conducts
- Worked example: a stove igniter
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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