potentsiaalierinevuse

Potentsiaalierinevuse, often translated as potential difference or voltage, is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the difference in electric potential between two points. It is a measure of the work done per unit charge to move a charge between those two points. This difference in potential is what drives electric current in a circuit. Think of it like a difference in height in a gravitational field; just as gravity pulls objects from a higher elevation to a lower one, a potential difference pushes electric charges from a region of higher potential to a region of lower potential.

The SI unit for potential difference is the volt (V), named after Alessandro Volta. One volt is defined as one joule of energy per coulomb of electric charge. In simpler terms, if it takes one joule of energy to move one coulomb of charge between two points, the potential difference between those points is one volt. This concept is crucial for understanding how electrical devices function, as batteries, power supplies, and generators all create and maintain a potential difference that enables the flow of electricity. Without potential difference, there would be no electric current and thus no electrical power.