Which statement about electric potential is true?

• A. Electric potential is a vector quantity.
• B. Electric potential is a scalar quantity; the sign of the charge matters when calculating potential energy.
• C. Electric potential is measured in volts.
• D. Electric potential energy is always negative.

Answer: (B)

Electric potential is a scalar quantity that describes the potential energy landscape per unit charge at a point in an electric field; it has magnitude but no direction. This means its value can be talked about without reference to any direction. The sign of the charge matters when calculating potential energy because the potential energy is given by U = qV. If the charge q is positive, the energy has the same sign as the potential; if q is negative, the energy has the opposite sign. So while potential itself is scalar, the energy you compute depends on whether the charge is positive or negative. This combination—the scalar nature of potential and the charge-sign dependence of potential energy—best captures how these quantities relate. Potential is measured in volts, but the key point that the statement highlights is exactly how potential and energy depend on charge sign.