Voltage

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Voltage \Vol"tage\, n. (Elec.)
     Electric potential or potential difference, expressed in
     volts.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:



  voltage
       n 1: the rate at which energy is drawn from a source that
            produces a flow of electricity in a circuit; expressed
            in volts [syn: {electromotive force}, {emf}]
       2: the difference in electrical charge between two points in a
          circuit expressed in volts [syn: {electric potential}, {potential},
           {potential difference}, {potential drop}]

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  voltage
       
           (Or "potential difference", "electro-motive
          force" (EMF)) A quantity measured as a signed difference
          between two points in an electrical circuit which, when
          divided by the {resistance} in {Ohms} between those points,
          gives the current flowing between those points in {Amperes},
          according to {Ohm's Law}.  Voltage is expressed as a signed
          number of Volts (V).  The voltage gradient in Volts per metre
          is proportional to the force on a charge.
       
          Voltages are often given relative to "earth" or "ground" which
          is taken to be at zero Volts.  A circuit's earth may or may
          not be electrically connected to the actual earth.
       
          The voltage between two points is also given by the charge
          present between those points in {Coulombs} divided by the
          {capacitance} in {Farads}.  The capacitance in turn depends on
          the {dielectric constant} of the insulators present.
       
          Yet another law gives the voltage across a piece of circuit as
          its {inductance} in {Henries} multiplied by the rate of change
          of current flow through it in Amperes per second.
       
          A simple analogy likens voltage to the pressure of water in a
          pipe.  Current is likened to the amount of water (charge)
          flowing per unit time.
       
          (1995-12-04)