Electricity

Electricity the form of energy (the ability to do work) that results from charged particles (electrons, protons).

Measures of Electricity

Stored Electricity: Voltage and Volts

Stored electricity is called voltage and is measured in volts. More precisely, voltage is the difference in electric potential energy between two points.

One volt is equal to 1 joule ($J$, see physics) per 1 coulomb ($C$), or $V = \frac{J}{C}$. A coulomb is a quantity of electrical charge, approximately equal to $6.2415090744 \cdot 10^{18}$ elementary charges (i.e. electrons).

Another way to put it is, a volt is the amount of electricity required to accelerate 1kg by 1 meter per second squared (a joule) for 1 second (resulting in a displacement of $1m$), divided by the quantity of electrical charges (coulombs). In other words, a volt is "how much work can be done per coulomb".

Flowing Electricity: Current and Amperes (amps)

Current ($I$) is the "flow" of electricity, measured in amperes or "amps" ($A$). One amp is equal to one coulomb ($C$) passing a given point in a circuit over one second ($s$), or $A = \frac{C}{s}$.

Solving for $C$, we can get a mathematical definition of coulomb: $C=As$.

Working Electricity: Power and Watts

Power ($P$) is amount of work (energy transfer), measured in watts. One watt is equal to 1 joule per second, or $W=J/s$. Power can be derived from current and voltage through watts law, which states $P=IV$.

Relationships between Volts, Amps, Ohms, and Watts

Ohm's Law and Watt's Law describe the relationship between volts, amps, ohms and watts as $I = V/R$ and $P=IV$, respectively.

Deeper Knowledge on Electricity

Broader Topics Related to Electricity

Electricity Knowledge Graph