What term refers to the energy transferred per unit charge that drives current through a circuit?

What term refers to the energy transferred per unit charge that drives current through a circuit?

• A. Current
• B. Potential Difference
• C. Resistance
• D. Power

Answer: (B)

Potential difference, or voltage, is the energy transferred per unit charge as charges move between two points in a circuit. It acts as the driving force for current because each coulomb of charge gains or loses a certain amount of energy when moving from one point to another, and that energy per charge is what pushes charges through conductors and components. Measured in volts (one volt = one joule per coulomb), this energy-per-charge sets how much energy is available to do work in the circuit. Current is the rate at which charges flow, not energy per charge. Resistance measures how strongly a component opposes that flow, and power is the rate of energy transfer, equal to voltage times current (P = VI).

Potential difference, or voltage, is the energy transferred per unit charge as charges move between two points in a circuit. It acts as the driving force for current because each coulomb of charge gains or loses a certain amount of energy when moving from one point to another, and that energy per charge is what pushes charges through conductors and components. Measured in volts (one volt = one joule per coulomb), this energy-per-charge sets how much energy is available to do work in the circuit.

Current is the rate at which charges flow, not energy per charge. Resistance measures how strongly a component opposes that flow, and power is the rate of energy transfer, equal to voltage times current (P = VI).