Current & Voltage Course
Lesson 3 of 16: What is Voltage
Move step by step through the course and keep track of where you are.
What is Voltage?
Voltage means electrical pressure. Use the controls to see how a stronger or weaker push changes charge flow and lamp brightness in the circuit.
Voltage
12.0 V
Pressure
MEDIUM
Flow Strength
50%
Core idea
Voltage is the electrical pressure that pushes charge through a circuit. More voltage means stronger push.
Simple idea
More voltage means more push. If resistance stays the same, that stronger push usually creates more current.
Watch voltage change the push
In this lesson, voltage is the electrical push. As you raise the battery voltage, the push becomes stronger. As you lower it, the push becomes weaker.
Voltage
12.0 V
This is the push coming from the battery.
Pressure Level
MEDIUM
More voltage creates stronger electrical pressure.
Flow Strength
50%
This shows how strong the overall push feels in the lesson.
What to notice
Medium voltage creates moderate electrical pressure and steady flow.
Voltage is not the number of electrons. Voltage is the electrical push that can move charge.
A battery creates a difference between its positive terminal and negative terminal. That difference is called potential difference.
Voltage
The electrical push that tries to move charge.
Pressure idea
More voltage is like stronger water pressure.
What to notice
As voltage rises, flow gets stronger and the lamp becomes brighter.
Quick reminder
If voltage rises and resistance does not change, current usually rises too because the push becomes stronger.