By means of the above equation we can determine the value of the electric potential of a charge Q at a point P located at any distance d . This equation is only valid for a zero potential frame of reference at infinity.
Through it we can also say that the electric potential at point P does not depend on the value of a test charge placed at point P. Therefore, we can say that even without the test charge we will have an electrical potential. Through this equation we can also say that the electric potential is inversely proportional to the distance between the point P and the source charge Q , that is, the greater the distance between the point and the generating load, the lower the electric potential.
As we can see in the figures below, the graph of the potential as a function of distance d is a curve called an equilateral hyperbola. If the source charge is positive (Q > 0), the curve is in the first quadrant, as shown in figure 1. If the source charge is negative (Q < 0), the curve is in the fourth quadrant.
As properties of the potential of the point charge, we can highlight that:
– the potential being inversely proportional to the distance, when the distance is doubled, the potential is reduced by half. – when the distance from P to Q
is halved , the potential doubles.
