YOU ARE LEARNING:
Electromotive Force
Electromotive Force
The electromotive force is the driving force behind the current flow in a circuit. It is the voltage across the whole circuit, so it is measured in volts (V).
Which of the following are forces? Pick all the options you think are correct.
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What do you think is the role of the electromotive force in a circuit?
What do you think the electromotive force is measured in?
To sum up! The electromotive force of a circuit is not actually a force, because it isn't measured in Newtons! It's measured in volts. It provides the energy that is needed to move the current around the circuit.
Potential difference is also measured in volts. Do you think potential difference and the electromotive force are actually the same thing?
The electromotive force is the voltage across the whole circuit, whereas the potential difference is the difference in voltage between two points in the circuit. So there is a slight difference between the two. We will look at potential difference in more detail in later lessons.
Which of these units are related to electrical circuits?
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Which of the following do we measure in volts? Pick all the options you think are correct.
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So, we measure the electromotive force of an electromotive source of energy (also known as the voltage) in volts.
The potential difference of a circuit is also measured in volts. We will look at potential difference in more detail in later lessons.