Potential Difference
Potential Difference
When a circuit is connected and complete, charge can move through the circuit. Charge will not move unless there is a reason, a force to drive it round the circuit. Think of it as though charge is at rest and something has to push it along. This means that work needs to be done to make charge move. A force acts on the charges, doing work, to make them move. The force is provided by the battery in the circuit.
A battery has the potential to drive charge round a closed circuit, the battery has potential energy that can be converted into electrical energy by doing work on the charge in the circuit to make it move.
Definition: Potential Difference
Potential difference is the work done per unit charge, \(\frac{W}{q}\). The units of potential difference are the volt (V) which is defined as one joule per coulomb.
Quantity: Potential difference (V) Unit name: volt Unit symbol: V
This lesson is part of:
Electric Circuits