Beginner question about voltage

[jaydnul]

I've always understood voltage as the difference between two plates. The more i think about it, the more i disagree with it. Wouldn't the voltage induced by a magnet in a generator be, well, voltage? There isn't a difference between two plates, its just the magnetic field interacting with the electric fields of the electrons which moves them, which causes a chain reaction right? So if this is correct, could you get an instance of current through a wire if you just touched it to the negative (most electrons) terminal of a battery because the electrons are trying to push away from each other so they would spread out across the newly attached wire to equalize the distance between each other?

 

[jim hardy]

Your musings are not far off.


Break down the term EMF
Electro = ?
Motive = ?
Force = ?

then back to your physics book... or google.

http://amasci.com/ele-edu.html

old jim

 

[Ratch]

lundyjb,

I've always understood voltage as the difference between two plates.

Difference? What kind of difference?

Wouldn't the voltage induced by a magnet in a generator be, well, voltage

And what is that?

There isn't a difference between two plates, its just the magnetic field interacting with the electric fields of the electrons which moves them, ...

There are no magnetic fields when you run a comb through your hair, yet voltage is produced.

...which causes a chain reaction, right?

Wrong, there is nothing nuclear about this.

So if this is correct, could you get an instance of current through a wire if you just touched it to the negative (most electrons) terminal of a battery because the electrons are trying to push away from each other so they would spread out across the newly attached wire to equalize the distance between each other?

The metal wire contains as many charge carriers (electrons) for its size as the battery does. The electrons in the wire are completely neutralized by the atoms of the wire.

Ratch