All of us have heard of the term ‘voltage’ at some point. But how many of us know what exactly it is?
Let’s try to understand with an example. If water has to pass through a hose, it needs some force from behind, doesn’t it? This force, in the context of electric power, is voltage.
So technically, voltage is the name given to the electric force that causes electrons to flow from one atom to another. It is usually supplied by a battery or generator.
One can observe voltage in the electrical appliances that we commonly use. We often see the brightness of light bulbs dimming. A reason for this could be a change in voltage. So, as the voltage increases, electric supply too increases. Devices called stabilizers are used in most of the domestic appliances like TV’s or fridges, to stabilize voltage.
Voltage is measured in units of volts, and the equipment used for the purpose is called voltmeter. The term voltage was named after an Italian physicist Alessandro Volta.
