How is voltage different than electrical current?

Answer 1

Voltage is the cause and current is its effect. Voltage is the potential difference between two points. When charges flow due to this potential difference, we say that current is flowing.

Voltage and current can be compared to a water reservoir with tubes connected to the outlet, the reservoir is the supply. Now, voltage is compared to the pressure of the water at the outlet of the reservoir, and current compared to the the volume of the water that flows through the tubes, the thicker and shorter the tubes, the less the resistance and larger the volume of water passing through the tubes. To measure voltage, a volt meter is connected across the output terminals of the supply; to measure current (in units of amperes), one of the wires connecting a circuit to to the supply is cut, and a ammeter is connected to the two ends; or if there is a switch in the circuit it can be switched off, and the current can be measured across the terminals of the switch. The best way to measure current is by using a clamp type ammeter.

Voltage (sometimes called electric potential difference) is the electrical driving force set up by an electric potential difference. There are several ways to create an electric potential difference, but in any case, it is voltage that causes current flow if there is some kind of circuit or current path to support the flow. Current or current flow is the actual movement of electrons through the branches of a circuit when voltage (the "motivational force" that causes current flow) is applied.

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Answer 2

current is nothing but flow of electic charges through a particular area.it is denoted by I.its unit is ampere.

V=IR by ohms law.

voltage

Voltage is the potential energy that makes the electrical current flow in a circuit by pushing the electrons around. The unit of voltage is volt shown as 'v'.

Answer 3

Think of voltage as a potential. A bunch of free electrons looking for someplace to go. The current is how they get there. If you think of a vat of water being a voltage and drilled a hole in the bottom the current would be the water flowing through the hole. The bigger the hole the higher the current (less resistance to the flow).

Answer 4

Voltage . . .

the difference in electrical 'pressure' between two points, that makes electrons want

to move from the higher-pressure point to the lower-pressure point if there's something

in between the two points for them to move through.

Under normal circumstances, there can easily be this difference in 'pressure'

between two points, but no electrons are moving across, because there's nothing

for them to move through. For example, there is substantial voltage between the

two slots in a household electrical outlet, but no way for electrons to move from

one to the other, until you plug something into the outlet that provides a path.

If the difference in pressure is great enough, then the electrons lose all reasoning

power and are consumed by an insane desire to make the trip even if there's nothing

there for them to move through, and they jump from one point to the other one anyway.

That's when you see a spark, or lightning.

Current . . .

When there's a path between the two points, then the electrons take off and move

from one point to the other. As long as the voltage is there, more and more electrons

step up and make the crossing. Current is simply the measurement of how heavy the

traffic is on the path ... how many electrons pass any point on the path every second.

If there happen to be about 6,241,000,000,000,000,000 electrons passing by in each

second, then we say that the current is "1 Ampere".

Greater current can be caused by either one of two conditions:

-- Greater voltage between the two points, inspiring more electrons to make the trip.

-- A path made of material that's easier for the electrons to travel in, such as

silver or copper ... the reason that electrical wiring is most often copper wire.