Voltage is defined as which of the following?

Voltage is defined as which of the following?

• A. The difference in electrical potential energy between components in a circuit.
• B. The current in a circuit.
• C. The rate of energy transfer.
• D. The opposition to current.

Answer: (A)

Voltage is the electrical potential difference between two points in a circuit. It tells us how much energy per unit charge is required to move a charge from one point to the other. In other words, it’s the energy change per coulomb of charge, measured in joules per coulomb (volts). This is why voltage isn’t the same as current (which is the rate of charge flow), nor the rate of energy transfer (which is power), nor the opposition to current (which is resistance). A battery provides a certain voltage that pushes charges around the circuit by delivering this energy per unit charge as they move.

Voltage is the electrical potential difference between two points in a circuit. It tells us how much energy per unit charge is required to move a charge from one point to the other. In other words, it’s the energy change per coulomb of charge, measured in joules per coulomb (volts). This is why voltage isn’t the same as current (which is the rate of charge flow), nor the rate of energy transfer (which is power), nor the opposition to current (which is resistance). A battery provides a certain voltage that pushes charges around the circuit by delivering this energy per unit charge as they move.