7
votes
When is minimum potential energy in simple harmonic motion not zero?
Potential energy can always be shifted by an arbitrary constant. For a Hooke's Law spring, this means we can write $U=\frac12 k(x-x_0)^2+U_0$.
For a physical example, consider a mass on a vertical ...
rob♦
- 91.5k
7
votes
When is minimum potential energy in simple harmonic motion not zero?
Energy has no absolute reference zero. The potential energy at zero displacement could be $0\,\rm J$, $1\,\rm J$, $10^9\,\rm J$, or $-10^9\,\rm J$ depending on where you set your (arbitrary) reference ...
- 26.4k
3
votes
How Can there be a Gravitational Potential when there is NO Gravitational Field?
You would be right, if you took your reference, at the center of the sphere, to be at a potential of 0. Throughout the sphere, you have a constant potential, which would remain 0.
Generally, we take $...
- 31
2
votes
Why is my idea of voltage drop wrong?
To simplify matters, assume that the mobile charged particles under consideration are positive and ignore the thermal motion of the charged particles.
I am going to compare the motion of a charged ...
- 97.9k
2
votes
Why is my idea of voltage drop wrong?
Voltage drop means voltage loss, typically in the context of electrical current flowing through a series of resistors or a piece of resistive wire. Let's say we have a loop of resistive wire leading ...
- 95.5k
2
votes
Accepted
When Can a Set of Surfaces Be Equipotentials?
Because it could be a function of the position variables over the surface of $F$, which would mean that it is not in fact an equipotential.
- 978
1
vote
Difference Between Plasma Potential and Floating Potential in a Plasma
The floating potential is the potential a metallic body acquires in the plasma when it is not connected to any electrode, so that the charged fluxes arriving to it have no where to go but to change ...
- 2,767
1
vote
Voltage: work to move a charge, or difference of electric potential?
In the diagram below the red dashed circle with the negative charge at its centre is an equipotential with the electric field lines produced by the negative charge at right angles to the circle.
As ...
- 97.9k
1
vote
Accepted
Voltage: work to move a charge, or difference of electric potential?
it will take work to move the positive charge from point A to point B, as I must counteract the vertical component of the electric force and so on.
You are quite correct that the distance to the ...
- 358k
1
vote
Accepted
Alternative potentials in the context of spontaneous symmetry breaking
Let $V(\phi)$ be the potential for a scalar field $\phi(x)$. The scalar can be real or complex, it can have an arbitrary number of components, the important thing is just that it is a scalar under the ...
- 1,014
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