isopotensial

An isopotential line, or isopotential contour, is a line connecting points of equal electric potential, magnetic potential, or gravitational potential in a region of space. These lines are analogous to contour lines on a topographic map, which connect points of equal elevation. In the context of electric fields, isopotential lines are also called equipotential lines.

Isopotential lines have several important properties. Firstly, they never intersect each other. If they did, it would imply that a single point in space has two different potentials, which is physically impossible. Secondly, electric field lines are always perpendicular to isopotential lines. This is because the electric field points in the direction of the steepest decrease in potential, and the direction of steepest decrease is perpendicular to lines of constant value. Similarly, magnetic field lines are perpendicular to magnetic isopotential lines, and gravitational field lines are perpendicular to gravitational isopotential lines.

The concept of isopotential lines is useful for visualizing potential fields and understanding the behavior of charged particles or masses within these fields. For example, in electrostatics, the work done in moving a charge between two points on the same isopotential line is zero, as there is no change in potential. This simplifies calculations and provides a clear graphical representation of potential distributions. In geophysics, isopotential lines of the Earth's gravitational field help in understanding variations in gravity and in mapping subsurface structures.