Definition

Noun: - The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts: This is the work needed per unit of charge to move a test charge between two points. It is the driving force that causes electric current to flow in a circuit.

Usage

• Potential difference is a fundamental concept in electricity and electronics. It is measured using a voltmeter and is commonly called voltage.
• It is a scalar quantity, meaning it has magnitude but no specific direction, though it is measured between two defined points.
• It is the cause, while electric current is the effect.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The battery provides a potential difference of 9 volts to the circuit.
  • To measure the potential difference across the resistor, connect the voltmeter in parallel with it.
  • A higher potential difference will push more current through a fixed resistor.

Advanced Usage

• "Potential difference is maintained by...": Used to describe the source of the voltage.
  • In a cell, a chemical reaction maintains a constant potential difference between its terminals.
• "A potential difference exists across...": Used to state where voltage is present.
  • A potential difference exists across the terminals of the power supply even when no current is flowing.

Variants and Related Words

• Voltage (n): The common synonym for potential difference.
  • The voltage drop across the wire was negligible.
• Electromotive force (EMF) (n): The specific potential difference generated by an energy source like a battery when no current is flowing.
• Electric potential (n): The electrical potential energy per unit charge at a single point, relative to a reference point (often infinity or ground). Potential difference is the in electric potential between two points.

Synonyms

• Voltage: The most common direct synonym.
• Electric tension: A less common technical term.

Related Phrases

• Potential drop: Often used interchangeably with potential difference, especially when referring to the voltage across a specific component like a resistor.
  • The potential drop across the lamp was 6 volts.
• Terminal voltage: The potential difference across the terminals of a device (like a battery) when current is flowing.

Notes

• Potential difference and voltage are used synonymously in most contexts. However, in precise physics, electromotive force (EMF) refers to the voltage generated by a source, while potential difference refers to the voltage measured between any two points, which may be less than the EMF due to internal resistance.
• The standard unit is the volt (V).

Noun

1. the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts