⚡ Basic Electricity - What is voltage?

Summary

An introduction to the concept of voltage, explaining how it functions as the driving force for electric current and defining it as the potential energy per unit of charge.

Highlights

What Voltage Does00:00:19

Voltage acts as the pushing force that drives electrons through a circuit to create current. Demonstrations with an electric motor show that increasing voltage increases the flow of current, which provides more energy to the device.

The Physics of Voltage00:03:11

Voltage is defined as the difference in electrical potential energy per unit of charge between two points. Potential energy represents the capacity to do work, while a coulomb is used as the standard unit of charge.

Calculating Energy and Charge00:06:04

Voltage is measured in joules per coulomb. This means a 1.5-volt battery transfers 1.5 joules of energy for every coulomb of charge that passes through a circuit, converting chemical potential energy into electrical energy.

Voltage as a Relative Measure00:07:44

Voltage is always measured as a difference between two points, which is why it is often called 'potential difference.' Whether it is a battery or a USB port, the voltage rating refers to the potential difference between two specific terminals.