Voltage

How it is used

One of the first words in any electrical conversation. You measure, apply and supply a voltage, step it up or down, and talk about low, high, input, output and supply voltage. When giving a value, engineers simply say 'volts': 'it's sitting at 12 volts'.

Example sentences

1. The board needs a supply voltage of 5 V, but we're only measuring 4.6 V at the connector.

2. Check that the voltage is zero before you touch the terminals.

Common collocations

• supply voltage
• input voltage
• output voltage
• high voltage
• measure the voltage

Related terms

• currentThe flow of electric charge through a conductor, such as a wire or a component. It is measured in amperes (A), which engineers usually just call amps.
• resistanceHow strongly a material or component opposes the flow of electric current. It is measured in ohms (Ω); for the same voltage, higher resistance means less current.
• Ohm's lawThe basic rule that the current through a conductor equals the voltage across it divided by its resistance. It is usually written V = I × R.
• multimeterA handheld or bench instrument that measures voltage, current and resistance, and often continuity, capacitance and frequency as well. It is the most basic tool for electrical testing.
• voltage dropThe reduction in voltage along a conductor or across a component as current flows through it. In long cables it means the load receives less voltage than the source supplies.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• voltage · Physics

More terms: Voltage, Current and Power

• power
• AC
• DC
• impedance
• capacitance
• power factor
• RMS
• inductance