What is a potential difference?
The potential difference is the energy per unit of charge in the electrical circuit. The potential difference must be measured between two points because it is generally impractical to measure the electrical potential of a single point. The potential point difference in the electrical circuit is usually carried out with regard to reference potential, such as a common foundation. It is also historically known as pressure and tension. "Pressure" is an outdated term for a potential difference, but is still used to indicate the potential difference in the context of the vacuum tube electronics. This total energy must include static and dynamic energy needed to move the charge. The calculation of the potential difference becomes more accurate as the measured charge is reduced.
The amount of potential difference must include a sign depending on the direction in which the electrons flow. The definition of a potential difference assumes that positively charged particles move towards lower voltages and negatively charged particles move towards higher voltage. It meansthat the electrons in the circuit flow from the point of higher voltage to the bottom of the lower voltage.
The description of the potential difference often uses water as an analogy for electricity. This analogy assumes that the mechanical pump drives water through the closed pipe circuit. The potential difference in this analogy is the difference in water pressure between two points in the circuit. Thus, the water will flow between two points if they difference in their pressure, allowing the water to work. Similarly, the electroical circuit can only work if there is a potential difference between two points in the circuit.
different tools measure the difference in potential depending on their operation method. The voltmeter has two wires, each of which connects to the point in the circuit. This device measures a drop in voltage through a fixed resistor, which is proportional to the amount of volts in the circuit.
The potentiometer compares the unknown voltage with the known voltage in the circuit. Oscilloscope intensifies toFive in a circuit that diverts an electron beam. The amount of deflection is proportional to the voltage in the circuit. The multimeter measures several electrical amounts, including voltages.