The potential energy for a positive charge increases when it moves against an electric field and decreases when it moves with the electric field; the opposite is true for a negative charge.

Electrical potential is the energy per unit charge gained or lost when a charge is moved from some reference point at which the potential is defined to be zero. Voltage is the difference in potential between two arbitrary points at which the potential is not necessarily zero.

The current in a circuit is directly proportional to the electric potential difference impressed across the circuit and inversely proportional to the resistance of the circuit.

Gravitational potential energy is the energy possessed or gained by an object due to a change in its location as it is present in a gravitational field. A negative energy potential means that in moving the charges apart, work must be performed against the electric field. …

The potential at any point is always an indicator of how much more potential energy a coulomb would have compared to when it’s at some reference point. So, if the potential is negative, it means the coulomb at that point would have less potential energy compared to when it’s at the reference point.

Potential difference is the difference in the amount of energy that charge carriers have between two points in a circuit. A potential difference of one Volt is equal to one Joule of energy being used by one Coulomb of charge when it flows between two points in a circuit.

The potential difference between two points in a circuit is the work done in moving a unit charge (i.e. one coulomb) from one point to the other. The units for potential difference are Joules per coulomb, or volts. (1 volt = 1 Joule/coulomb).

Voltmeter Instrument