PHY 2020 Chapter Notes - Chapter 23: Drift Velocity, Ampere, Incandescent Light Bulb
Document Summary
When the ends of an electric conductor are at different electrical potentials- where there is a potential difference- charge flows from one end to the other. Without a potential difference, no charge flows. To attain a sustained flow of charge in a conductor, some arrangement must be provided to maintain a difference in potential while charge flow from one end to the other. Figure 23. 1: (a) water flows from the reservoir of higher pressure to the reservoir of lower pressure. The flow ceases when the difference of pressure ceases. (b) water continues to flow because a difference in pressure is maintained by the pump. Checkpoint 1: okay, so a potential difference across the ends of a wire produces current. Instead of saying potential difference, can we as well say voltage: yes. Potential difference and voltage are interchangeable terms- the difference in electrical potential between two points in a conducting path. Electric current is simply the flow of electric charge.
