How voltage travels in wire

[Idea04]

I would like to know if there was a supply voltage of 20 volts (just voltage no current) on an input terminal. And there is a ground terminal and an output terminal. Will the 20 volts just be concentrated on the ground terminal where the connection is complete or will all terminal have a voltage of 20 volts.

 

[Astronuc]

The voltage is a statepoint, so voltage does not travel down a wire, but voltage increases or decreases along a wire depending on direction one travels along the wire or how close to the voltage source one is.

The current travels along the wire, and there is a voltage drop (gradient) associated with the current. The voltage drop is simply the product of the current and resistance over the length of the wire. The greatest resistance is usually found in a resistor or load as compared to conductor or wire which have low resistance.


One can short circuit a battery, which will cause it to get very hot as the current is very high and the chemical reaction is very rapid, and then internal resistance of the battery will increase.

If there is no current, the conductor attached to the output terminal will be 20 V above ground, assuming the ground is at the - battery terminal.

 

[oswaler]

Voltage travels through a wire as a result of the movement of electrons. When a voltage is applied to one end of a wire, it creates an electric field that pushes the electrons through the wire. This flow of electrons is what we refer to as current.

In regards to your specific scenario, if there is a supply voltage of 20 volts on the input terminal and a ground terminal and an output terminal, the voltage will be present at all three terminals. This is because the voltage is the potential difference between the two terminals, and it will be present at both the input and output terminals, as well as the ground terminal.

However, the amount of voltage that is present at each terminal may differ depending on the resistance of the wire and any components connected to the circuit. For example, if there is a resistor connected to the output terminal, it may cause a voltage drop and the voltage at that terminal may be less than 20 volts.

It is also important to note that voltage alone does not indicate the full picture of a circuit. In order for there to be a complete circuit and for current to flow, there must be a complete path for the electrons to travel, which includes a connection to the ground terminal. Therefore, the ground terminal is an essential part of the circuit and will also have a voltage of 20 volts present.

Overall, the voltage will be present at all terminals, but the actual amount of voltage at each terminal may vary depending on the specific circuit and its components.