Voltage, also known as electric potential difference, is a fundamental electrical quantity that represents the potential energy difference between two points in an electrical circuit. It is the driving force that causes electric charges to move from one point to another in the circuit.
The unit of measurement for voltage is the volt (V), named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta. One volt is defined as the potential difference between two points in a circuit when one joule of energy is used to move one coulomb of electric charge from one point to the other. Mathematically, it is represented as:
1 V = 1 J/C (joule per coulomb)
Voltage is essential in electrical engineering and plays a significant role in various applications, including powering electronic devices, transmitting electricity across power lines, and providing electrical potential for various components in electronic circuits.