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forevermoreOC
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If you have two globes in series and one globe in parallel all connected to a circuit, how can you determine the potential difference?
forevermoreOC said:in order to calculate emf (potential) within a circuit, do you have to first find the current of the total circuit and then multiply that by the resistance that you want to find the potential on?
Potential difference, also known as voltage, is the difference in electric potential between two points in a circuit. It is measured in volts (V) and represents the amount of energy that is required to move a unit of electric charge from one point to another.
In a series circuit, the potential difference is divided among the components in the circuit, with the sum of the individual potential differences being equal to the total potential difference in the circuit. In a parallel circuit, the potential difference remains the same across each branch of the circuit, but the total potential difference may be different depending on the components.
In a series circuit, adding more resistors will increase the overall resistance in the circuit, resulting in a decrease in the potential difference. In a parallel circuit, adding more resistors will decrease the overall resistance, resulting in an increase in the potential difference.
The potential difference is directly proportional to the current in a circuit, meaning that a higher potential difference will result in a higher current flow. This is known as Ohm's law, which states that the current (I) is equal to the potential difference (V) divided by the resistance (R) in a circuit (I = V/R).
Yes, potential difference can be negative. This can occur when the direction of the current flow is opposite to the direction of the potential difference, resulting in a negative value. However, in most cases, potential difference is considered to be positive as it represents the energy required to move a positive charge from one point to another.