Spannungen

Spannungen is the German term used across several disciplines to describe force, potential, or tension. The plural form Spannungen refers to multiple instances of these concepts. In different contexts, the word can indicate electrical potential difference, mechanical stress, or general tension in a system or relation.

Electrical Spannung: In electrical engineering and physics, Spannung (voltage) denotes the electric potential difference between two points. It is the driving force that causes electric charges to move when a circuit is closed. Spannung is measured in volts (V) and is often denoted by the symbol U or ΔV. In a simple circuit, current and resistance relate through Ohm’s law: I = U/R. Electrical power is P = U I = V^2 / R, illustrating how voltage enables energy transfer in circuits and devices.

Mechanical Spannung: In mechanics and materials science, Spannung refers to internal stress within a material, defined as force per unit area that resists deformation. Units are pascals (Pa) or megapascals (MPa). Spannung can be normal (σ) when perpendicular to a cross-section, leading to tension (Zugspannung) or compression (Druckspannung), or shear (Schubspannung) when parallel to the cross-section. A material’s response to this stress depends on its properties and may include elastic deformation, yielding, or failure. Dehnung (strain) describes the resulting change in length and is related to Spannung via material-specific constitutive relations.

Other uses: In everyday German, Spannung also means interpersonal or geopolitical tension, or suspense and anxiety in a narrative. Thus, Spannungen encompasses both physical and figurative forms of load and potential difference.