What Is the Meaning of Volt?
A volt is has been the common term of measurement of electric potential under the International System of Units for more than 100 years. Commonly used and commonly misunderstood, voltage is not a measure of electricity but rather a quantification of available force to move electricity.
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Identification
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Voltage is the level of electric potential, the force that pushes electrons through a circuit. Using a water hose as an analogy, voltage would be the pressure needed to push the water through the hose.
Origin
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The word volt derives its name from Italian physicist and electricity pioneer Count Alessandro Volta. His most famous accomplishment was creating the voltaic pile, a forerunner to the modern battery.
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History
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The International Electrical Congress approved the term volt and its definition in the 1880s. The Congress defined one volt as the potential to move one ampere, the standard measure of current, through a conductor with a resistance of one ohm.
Examples
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To put voltage in perspective, a standard alkaline battery has a potential of 1.5 volts, a car battery about 12 volts and a power line about 110 kilovolts, or 110,000 volts. A bolt of lightning usually has voltage of about 100 megavolts, or 100 million volts.
Misconceptions
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Despite the common signs warning of "high voltage," voltage is only dangerous when there is sufficient current. A zap of static electricity produced by shuffling across a carpet can have a voltage of several thousand volts.
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References
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Kevin Miller
