Final answer:
The potential due to a uniformly charged sphere is the same as that of a point charge at distances outside the sphere (r > R). Inside the sphere, the potential will differ. The potential of a non-uniformly charged sphere is generally not the same as that of a point charge, though there could be specific cases where it is similar.
Step-by-step explanation:
The potential due to a uniformly charged sphere is equivalent to that of a point charge at distances outside the sphere's radius (r > R), where R is the radius of the charged sphere. This is because the charge appears to be concentrated at the center of the sphere when observed from outside, much like a point charge. Within the sphere (r < R), however, the potential varies because the distance to different parts of the charge distribution changes as one moves closer to the center.
For a non-uniformly charged sphere, the potential could be the same as that of a point charge at certain locations, but this is generally not the case. The potential of a non-uniformly charged sphere depends on the specific distribution of charge and may vary widely from that of a point charge.