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Voltage

Quick Facts

  • Voltage (V) describes the quantity of electromagnetic force in which charge carriers are being pushed in an electric current.
  • Voltage is always a relative measurement between two points.

Intro

Voltage, measured in volts (V), is the amount of force in which charge carriers are being moved in an electric current.

Common Source Voltages

SourceVoltage
High power transmission lines230kV - 500kV
North American Household Mains~117V (110 nominal)
European Household Mains~220V (230 nominal)
AA Battery1.5V
USB Power5V
Netduino Digital IO3.3V
Low-power Peripherals1.8V

Common Unit Magnitudes

MagnitudeValue in volts
microvolt (µV)0.000001V
millivolt (mV)0.001V
volt (V)1.0V
kilovolt (kV)1,000V
megavolt (MV)1,000,000V

Further Reading

For a much more in depth discussion regarding amps, see the Amount and Force section in part 2 of the Electronics Tutorial