Question

While defining the electrostatic potential at a point, the unit positive test charge must be brought:

Options

• slowly from infinity to that point without acceleration

• from infinity along the path of minimum distance only

• rapidly from infinity with constant acceleration

• from a neighboring point with maximum speed

Answer 1

The definition requires that the unit positive test charge is brought slowly and without acceleration from infinity. This ensures no extra kinetic energy is given to the charge, so the work done by the external agent corresponds entirely to the electrostatic potential at that point.