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Definition of Electric Potential:
Electric potential is a location dependent quantity that expresses the amount of potential energy per unit of charge at a specified location. Mathematically, electric potential is the quantity of energy per unit of charge. Typical units on electric potential are Joules per Coulomb (abbreviated J/C). The term voltage is sometimes used in place of the phrase electric potential. Because of the use of the term voltage, the units of electric potential is the Volt. One volt is equivalent to a J/C.
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As mentioned in the Define Help section, electric potential expresses the amount of electric potential energy per unit of charge at a specific location. The battery's role is to do work upon an charge to move it from the low energy terminal to the high energy terminal. By doing so, the charge becomes energized, pressurized and ready to flow through the external circuit. A 12-Volt battery will provide each Coulomb of charge 12 Joules of electric potential energy. In this sense, the voltage of a battery provides a rating of how much energy it provides to each Coulomb of charge that it would move from low energy to high energy.
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The electric circuits topic is filled with a larger than usual number of vocabulary terms. Many of the terms are abstract and confusing. Yet the terms will become the language used to discuss the physics of electric circuits. In most cases, the terms are measurable quantities that have a mathematical side to them. It would be a wise idea to begin now to develop a list of the main vocabulary terms. For each term: write its definition, write any synonyms used in its place, state the units of measurement, write any relevant equations that relate the quantity to other quantities, and include any descriptive notes that would help you make meaning of the term. The following terms should be included on the list: current, potential difference (voltage), potential energy (work), electric power, resistance.
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