Voltage

Definition

Voltage is the electrical potential energy available for each Coulomb of charge. It dictates how much energy each charge carries through a circuit

The Problem That Led to It

Just moving charges wasn't enough; systems needed a way to pack specific amounts of energy into those carriers to power heavy loads efficiently.

What Problem It Solves

It defines exactly how much work (Joules) each unit of charge (Coulombs) can do.

What Happens If Not Used

Without voltage, charges have no energy to transfer, meaning no work gets done.

Easy Wording

Voltage is simply the amount of energy loaded into each unit of electric charge.

Layman Example

Think of delivery workers (charges). One carries £12, the other carries £48 (voltage). The worker is identical, but the payload differs.

Technical Example

Before: A 12V solar system needs massive current to deliver power, causing cable heating.

After: A 48V system gives each charge four times the energy, delivering the same power with much less current and thinner cables.

Limitation

Voltage only shows energy per charge, not the total energy being delivered per second.

Solution

We must combine Voltage with Current to calculate Power, which measures the actual total work done per second.