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Your question should really be the other way around! Technically, the correct term is 'potential difference'. Since this is measured in volts, over time it has also become known as 'voltage'. A similar thing has happened, but to a lesser extent, with 'power' which, being measured in watts, is often referred to as 'wattage'.

So, 'voltage' is simply another word for 'potential difference'. Originally, it meant 'potential difference expressed in volts' but, these days, it applies to microvolts, millivolts, volts, kilovolts, or megavolts!

Take care, however, not to confuse 'voltage' and 'potential'. These are different, and voltage should never be used when you mean potential.

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Q: Why is voltage also called potential difference?
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What is the difference between EMF and terminal PD?

An electromotive force is the potential differenceappearing across the terminals of a battery, generator, etc., when that device is not supplying any load. When the device is supplying a load current, the electromotive force is equal to the sum of the voltage drops around the complete circuit, including any internal voltage drop.A potential difference (also known as a 'voltage'), as the name implies, is the difference in potential between two points.


What symbol is used to measure potential difference?

V which abbreviates the word volt, which is the unit of measure of the difference in electromotive force (EMF), (or electric potential) between two points of contact; the resulting voltage difference could be direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) depending on the source of the voltage difference.


When the current traveling through a resistor is increased what happens to the voltage that travels through the same resistor?

Your question reveals fundamental misunderstandings about the nature of electricity.'Voltage' is simply another word for 'potential difference', and a potential difference appears across opposite ends of the resistor; it doesn't 'travel through' that resistor! Current, on the other hand, DOES 'travel through' the resistor and is caused by the potential difference across the resistor.Resistance is the ratio of potential difference to current. So if the resistance remians unchanged when the current through it doubles, then it has happened because the potential difference has doubled.


What are potential transformer?

potential transformer is that which transforms one range of voltage (potential difference ) to another range without changing frequency.AnswerA 'potential transformer' is the North American term for what, elsewhere, is called a 'voltage transformer'. It, together with a current transformer, belongs to a class of transformers known as 'instrument transformers'.Potential transformers are used to (1) reduce the value of a high-voltage supply to a lower value (often 120 V) so that it may be read by ordinary voltmeters, and (2) to electrically-isolate the voltmeter from the high-voltage source for the purpose of safety.In electricity substations, potential transformers are also used to provide an input to certain types of protective relay.


What is the voltage divider theorem?

it is aa linear circuit that produces the output voltage from the fraction of its input. It is also known as potential divider.

Related questions

What is another name for voltage?

Voltage can also be called "potential" and is measured across components or sections of a circuit.Answer'Voltage' is another word for 'potential difference', not'potential'!


What is potencial difference measured in?

The unit of measure is the Volt Potential difference is basically electrical "pressure" (an excess of electrons). Volt.....The unit of electric potential. Named after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta (1745- 1827). The potential difference is the difference in charge at the poles of a current source The volt (symbol: V) is the SI derived unit of electromotive force, commonly called "voltage". It is also the unit for the related but slightly different quantity electric potential difference (also called "electrostatic potential difference"). ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volt


What is a voltage of a battery?

It is the potential difference between the positive and negative terminals of the battery. The unit of electrical potential is the volt, so the difference in potential between two ponts is also a quantity with units of volts, colloquially called the 'voltage' between the points.


How does a voltage divider work?

The essential circuit of a voltage divider, also called a potential divider, is:


Is voltage the same as potential?

volt drop and potential difference are effectively the same thing, although the term volt drop is usually used in reference of what voltage has to occur for a diode to conduct, or what volt drop is expected across a long wire etc, potential difference is used to refer to the difference in voltage over a potential divider.


What is voltage also known as?

The term, 'voltage', is synonymous with 'potential difference'.Originally, the term 'voltage' was used to describe potential difference when specifcally expressed in volts. These days, however, we use the term whatever multiples or submultiples of volts are used -so it applies to potential difference whether expressed in microvolts, millivolts, volts, kilovolts, megavolts, etc.It's very important to understand that voltage is synonymous with 'potential difference', and not'potential'. So it would be quite incorrect to describe, say, the 'voltage at a point' in a circuit (e.g. "...the voltage at point A in a circuit is +12 V").


Do charges in an electric circuit flow because of a difference in electrical potential energy?

"voltage" (also referred to as 'potential')


What is the difference between potential difference and current?

think of potential as pressure and current as flow. you can have pressure in a water hose with out flow. open the valve and current happens. The difference in potential divided by the impedance is equal the current.


What is the difference between EMF and terminal PD?

An electromotive force is the potential differenceappearing across the terminals of a battery, generator, etc., when that device is not supplying any load. When the device is supplying a load current, the electromotive force is equal to the sum of the voltage drops around the complete circuit, including any internal voltage drop.A potential difference (also known as a 'voltage'), as the name implies, is the difference in potential between two points.


Does the voltage moves?

Yes, voltage is a kind of electric pressure. It is also called potential. When there is potential difference between any two points, current starts flowing from high pressure point to low pressure point. FOR EXAMPLE : When there is a difference in air pressure between two regions, air moves from region of low pressure to region of high pressure causing winds In this case air is the potential and wind is electric current


The force measured in volts?

Voltage is what is measured in volts. This is the electric potential difference between two places. The electric current is also measured so as to ascertain the voltage.


What measuring instrument is used to measure potential difference?

To Measure Voltage or potential difference you can use volt meter, there are diferent methode to measure DC voltage and AC Voltage.use a AVO meter and you can choose Voltage in each voltage range on the selector.a Volt meter instrument you can find it by manual methode and digital .Dont forget to read manual book before you will measure the voltage.Comment'Potential difference' is exactly the same thing as 'voltage'; they are synonymous.