BRAINCAKEPotential Difference
The potential difference (p.d.) across a component is the energy transferred from electrical energy to other forms per unit charge passing through it, V = W/Q. It is measured in volts, where 1 V = 1 J C-1.
As charge carriers pass through a component such as a resistor or a lamp, they do work and lose electrical energy, which is transferred to heat or light. A p.d. of 1 V means that 1 J of energy is transferred for every coulomb of charge.
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Key terms in this lesson
- work done
- The energy transferred when a force moves its point of application through a distance in the direction of the force.
- energy
- The capacity of a system to do work.
More in Electricity
- The Flow of Charge in Metals and Electrolytes
- Kirchoff's First Law and Conservation of Charge
- Conductors and Semi-Conductors
- Current and Drift Velocity
- Electromotive Force
- The Electron Gun
- Resistance
- Ohm's Law
All 30 lessons in Electricity · All OCR AS-level Physics topics