Question #6363a
1 Answer
A differential in the distribution of charges, the existence of an electric field.
Explanation:
In nature, we tend to see that most bodies are electrically neutral: because the electric forces are so strong, any deviation from neutrality will be fixed very quick. This is unlike the gravitatory potential, where our experience of the effects of gravity is very familiar: high places have higher potential than low places, and bodies will go down that potential if you give them a path.
Still, there are several ways to force bodies not to be electrically neutral. To do that, we need to separate the electrons of the atoms from their atoms. Doing that we get negatively and positively charged ions separate (the negative ions can be just electrons, but often this is not the case, specially in chemical batteries). Then we need something that attracts the differently charged ions to different regions of space. This is done often through chemical equilibriums.
In this manner, now we have a spatial distribution of charges that is not neutral. We have positive charges in one side and negative charges on the other side. This creates an electric field between them, and with it, an electric potential.
