Electric potential and electric potential difference are closely related concepts in the field of physics. While electric potential refers to the amount of electric potential energy possessed by a charged particle at a specific point in an electric field, electric potential difference, also known as voltage, refers to the difference in electric potential between two points in an electric circuit.

To better understand the difference, consider a water analogy. Electric potential can be likened to the height of water in a reservoir, while electric potential difference is similar to the difference in height between two points in a water pipe system. Just as water flows from a higher to a lower potential energy in response to a height difference, charges flow from a higher to a lower electric potential energy when there is a potential difference.

It is important to note that electric potential is a scalar quantity, meaning it has magnitude but no direction, whereas electric potential difference is a vector quantity, having both magnitude and direction. This distinction is crucial in understanding the behavior of charges in electric circuits.