What is difference between electric field and electric potential?

Electric Field : electric field, an electric property associated with each point in space when charge is present in any form. The magnitude and direction of the electric field are expressed by the value of E, called electric field strength or electric fieldintensity or simply the electric field. The electric field at a given point is defined as the (vectorial) force that would be exerted on a stationary test particle of unit charge by electromagnetic forces (i.e. the Lorentz force). A particle of charge would be subject to a force . Its SI units are newtons per coulomb (N C 1) or, equivalently, volts per metre (V m 1), which in terms of SI base units are kg m s 3 A 1. Electrical Potential In order to bring two like charges near each other work must be done. In order to separate two opposite charges, work must be done. Remember that whenever work gets done, energy changes its’ form ….i.e. from one energy to another energy. Electric potential, the amount of work needed to move a unit charge from a reference point to a specific point against an electric field. Typically, the reference point is the Earth, although any point beyond the influence of the electric field charge can be used. Since the electrical potential energy can change depending on the amount of charge moving, it is helpful to describe the electrical potential energy per unit of charge. This is known as electrical potential As a formula it is written like this: The energy per unit of charge is often called voltage so it is symbolized with the capital letter V. Work or energy can be measured in Joules and charge is measured in Coulombs so the electrical potential can be measured in Joules per Coulomb which has been defined as a volt. = 1V. read less

Electric field: In physics, the space surrounding an electric charge or in the presence of a time-varying magnetic field has a property called an electric field (that can also be equated to electric flux density). This electric field exerts a force on other electrically charged objects. The concept of an electric field was introduced by Michael Faraday. The electric field is a vector field with SI units of newtons per coulomb (N C?1) or, equivalently, volts per meter (V m?1). The strength of the field at a given point is defined as the force that would be exerted on a positive test charge of +1 coulomb placed at that point; the direction of the field is given by the direction of that force. Electric fields contain electrical energy with energy density proportional to the square of the field intensity. The electric field is to charge as gravitational acceleration is to mass and force density is to volume. A moving charge has not just an electric field but also a magnetic field, and in general the electric and magnetic fields are not completely separate phenomena; what one observer perceives as an electric field, another observer in a different frame of reference perceives as a mixture of electric and magnetic fields. For this reason, one speaks of "electromagnetism" or "electromagnetic fields." In quantum mechanics, disturbances in the electromagnetic fields are called photons, and the energy of photons is quantized. Electric potential: At a point in space, the electric potential is the potential energy per unit of charge that is associated with a static (time-invariant) electric field. It is typically measured in volts, and is a Lorentz scalar quantity. The difference in electrical potential between two points is known as voltage. There is also a generalized electric scalar potential that is used in electrodynamics when time-varying electromagnetic fields are present. This generalized electric potential cannot be simply interpreted as potential energy per unit charge, however. read less

Electric field vs Electric potential An electric field is present around a charge – either negative or positive. Any charged object can also acquire that field of electric force. A charge or a charged object has a force of whether to attract or repel a surrounding charge or object. Surrounding charges have also electric fields of their own with varying magnitude and this must also be taken into account. The electric field is a force that acts between two charges and it is somewhat analogous to the gravitational field force that acts between two masses. The only difference is that gravitational force will be dependent on the values of masses while electric force will depend on the amount of charges on objects. The formula for an electric field is as follows: E = K * Q/d^2 Where: K = constant Q = charge in unit Coulomb (C) d = distance between a charged object in unit meter (m) Electric field is measured in Newtons per Coulomb which means that the field intensity of an Electric Field (E) is described as the amount of force (F) present for every coulomb of charge. The vector quantity can also be expressed in the unit of Volts per Meter. Thus, E = F/Q This is a vector quantity that will either go in the direction of attraction or repulsion. It should be noted that a test charged should applied to get the Electric field intensity (E) of an object as there is no way to know how intense the field is, if it acts alone. In shorter terms, “It takes one to know one.” The total amount of work to be done to move a charge from one place to another without causing any acceleration is what we call as the Electric Potential. The electric potential is the potential energy of a unit of charge that is associated with a static — time-invariant — electric field. Mathematically, it is described as, Ve = W/Q The electric potential (Ve) is expressed in volts or Joules per Coulomb. Joules is the a unit of Work and as the formula shows, electric potential (Ve) is the amount of Work (W) per unit charge (Q). This quantity is scalar quantity which is often symbolized by a non-bolded V to represent its scalar property. Summary: 1. Electric field is described as the amount of force per charge while the Electric potential is described as the amount of energy or work per charge. 2. Electric field is measured in Newtons per Coulomb or Volts per meter while Electric Potential is measured in unit Volts or Joules per Coulomb 3. Electric field is a vector quantity while Electric potential is a scalar quantity. read less