Potential...WTF

[bluesTank]

Hey, can anyone take a few moments to explain to me what potential is, in general? Like when we refer to electric potential, gravitational potential etc what exactly do those terms mean? For example, trying to figure out whether a particle goes from high to low potential, depends on whether it is positive or negative...but what does going from high to low potential mean?? I am just really confused on the terms, so a little clarification would be much appreciated. Thanks!

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[134317]

It's the "potential" to do work or move or whatever.

Something with gravitational potential energy will fall once you push it off of a ledge.

The electric potential (voltage) is what pushes electrons through a circuit.

Things always go from a high potential to a low potential. Except in circuits. The basic charge element by convention is a positive charge. Positive charges flow from high to low. But the real charge carriers are actually electrons. They flow from low to high.

 

[scottj72]

A key thing to remember about "potential" is that it is a static state. I think gravitational is much easier for everyone to grasp. Generally this is how we think about and explain potential energy and kenetic energy. Basically an object has a certain amount of stored energy due to it's position and the force of gravity. This energy then can be transferred into kinetic energy.
Electric potential my be a little more difficult, but as "electric pressure". Where this "pressure" is uniform, no current flows and nothing happens.Like any potential function, only the potential difference(voltage) between two points is physically meaningful.