Electric Potential: Path-Independence and Scalar Quantity

This lecture covers the concept of electric potential, explaining how a scalar quantity can describe the electric field and how to calculate the potential function. It discusses the path-independence that allows defining the scalar quantity of electric potential difference. The lecture also explores the relationship between potential difference and potential function, emphasizing the essential minus sign. It illustrates the gradient of a scalar function and the direction of the steepest slope. The evaluation of the potential function from the electric field is demonstrated, highlighting the superposition principle. Finally, the lecture presents problems related to the potential function and the corresponding electric field.