Which unit is used to measure electrical potential difference?

Which unit is used to measure electrical potential difference?

• A. Amperes (amps)
• B. Volts
• C. Ohms
• D. Watts

Answer: (B)

Electrical potential difference, or voltage, represents how much energy per unit charge is available to push electrons from one point to another. The unit that expresses this potential difference is the volt. One volt equals one joule of energy per coulomb of charge moved, which is why voltage is the driving factor behind current in a circuit. In practice, a higher voltage provides more push to move charges, enabling current to flow through a resistance. Ohm's law ties these ideas together with V = I × R, showing how the units relate: a volt can be thought of as amps times ohms. The other common electrical quantities have different meanings: amperes measure current, the flow rate of charge; ohms measure resistance; watts measure power, the rate of energy transfer. So the unit used for electrical potential difference is the volt.

Electrical potential difference, or voltage, represents how much energy per unit charge is available to push electrons from one point to another. The unit that expresses this potential difference is the volt. One volt equals one joule of energy per coulomb of charge moved, which is why voltage is the driving factor behind current in a circuit. In practice, a higher voltage provides more push to move charges, enabling current to flow through a resistance. Ohm's law ties these ideas together with V = I × R, showing how the units relate: a volt can be thought of as amps times ohms. The other common electrical quantities have different meanings: amperes measure current, the flow rate of charge; ohms measure resistance; watts measure power, the rate of energy transfer. So the unit used for electrical potential difference is the volt.