1. Why Is Potential Called Potential?

1. Why Is Potential Called Potential?

Aug 24, 2026·
Xander Chu
Xander Chu
· 1 min read
psychology

Key Question

Why do we call it electrical potential?

What You’ll Learn

  • What electrical potential means
  • How electrical potential relates to energy
  • What voltage measures
  • Why separating charges creates electrical potential
  • Why membrane potential matters in neurons

Key Takeaway

Electrical potential describes the ability of separated charges to do work.

A neuron’s membrane potential reflects a difference in electrical potential across the cell membrane.

Next

Continue to Some Physics and… Wind?

Xander Chu
Authors
Xander Chu (they/them)
Founder, XC Psych
Psychology student at UNSW exploring psychology and neurobiology from first principles, with a background in data science, machine learning, software engineering, and tennis coaching.