Potential Difference

Specialty Definition: Potential Difference

Domain	Definition
Computing	Potential difference voltage. Source: The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing.
Mining	The difference in electric potential between two points; represents the work involved or the energy released in the transfer of a unit amount ofelectricity between them. (references)
Post & Telecom	Difference in voltage existing between two points in a circuit; in the ERMES system:the input signal level to the test fixture required to produce a message acceptance ratio of 80 % is noted in dB micro V p. d. Source: European Union. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Electrical potential difference

potential difference

A potential difference between two points gives rise to a "force" called an electromotive force or emf that tends to push electrons or other charge-carriers from one point to the other. Common sources of emf are the battery, the electrical generator and the capacitor.

In the SI system of units, potential difference, electrical potential and electromotive force are measured in volts, leading to the commonly used term voltage and its abbreviation V. Named after Alessandro Volta, one volt is defined to be one joule of energy per coulomb of charge.

If one thinks of an electrical circuit in analogy to water circulating in a network of pipes, driven by pumps in the absence of gravity, then the potential difference corresponds to the pressure difference between two points. If there is a pressure difference between two points, then water flowing from the first point to the second will be able to do work, such as driving a turbine.

Instruments for measuring potential differences include the voltmeter and the potentiometer and the oscilloscope. The voltmeter works by measuring the current through a fixed resistor, which according to Ohm's Law is proportional to the potential difference across it. The cathode-ray oscilloscope works by amplifying the potential difference and using it to deflect an electron beam from a straight path, so that the deflection of the beam is proportional to the potential difference.

Modern Translation: Potential Difference

Language		Translations for "potential difference"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Danish		potentialdifferens (electromotive force, tension), p.d., U (electromotive force, tension), spaending (electromotive force, stress, tension, tonus, twist, voltage), elektromotorisk kraft (Electromotive force, electromotive power, tension), E (electromotive force, essential, explosive, tension). (various references)

Dutch		potential difference, p.d.. (various references)

Finnish		potentiaaliero (p.d.), jännite (tension, voltage). (various references)

French		p.d., U, tension, force électromotrice (electromotive power), E, différence potentielle, différence de potentiel. (various references)

German		Potentialdifferenz (E or emf, electromotive force, tension), U (non-recoverable), Spannungsdifferenz (p.d.), Spannung (excitement, fixture, strain, stress, suspense, tautness, tension, tightness, voltage), elektromotorische Kraft (E or emf, e.m.f., Electromotive force, electromotive power, tension), E P (E or emf, electromotive force, tension). (various references)

Greek		p.d. (p.d.), U (atomic mass unit, E or emf, electromotive force, tension), ηλεκτροκινητική δύναμη (E or emf, electromotive force, tension), τάση (affinity, bent, drift, inclination, potential, proclivity, strain, tendency, trend), διαφορά δυναμικού (E or emf, electromotive force, p.d., tension, voltage), E (E or emf, electromotive force, tension). (various references)

Hungarian		potenciálkülönbség, feszültség (strain, stress, tenseness, tension, tensity). (various references)

Italian		differenza di potenziale (E or emf, electromotive force, p.d., tension). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		電位差 . (various references)

Japanese Katakana		で�"いさ. (various references)

Pig Latin		otentialpay ifferenceday

Portuguese		p.d. (p.d.), tensão (bent, jitters, pressure, strain, straining, stress, tension, voltage), diferença de potencial,tensão-força electromotriz (E or emf, electromotive force, tension), diferença de potencial (p.d.). (various references)

Russian		разность потенциалов. (various references)

Spanish		U (or), tensión (concentration, heat, pressure, strain, stress, suspense, tenseness, tension), fuerza electromotriz (E or emf, E.M.F., Electromotive force, electromotive power, tension), E (and, e, plus), diferencia de potencial (E or emf, electromotive force, p.d., tension), d.p. (p.d.). (various references)

Swedish		potentialskillnad (p.d.). (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Anagrams: Potential Difference

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "a-c-d-e-e-e-e-f-f-i-i-l-n-n-o-p-r-t-t"
	-5 letters: antireflection.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

Alternative Orthography: Potential Difference

Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)

50 6F 74 65 6E 74 69 61 6C 44 69 66 66 65 72 65 6E 63 65

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)

Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)

01010000 01101111 01110100 01100101 01101110 01110100 01101001 01100001 01101100 00100000 01000100 01101001 01100110 01100110 01100101 01110010 01100101 01101110 01100011 01100101

HTML Code (1990) (references)

&#80 &#111 &#116 &#101 &#110 &#116 &#105 &#97 &#108 &#32 &#68 &#105 &#102 &#102 &#101 &#114 &#101 &#110 &#99 &#101

ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)

0050 006F 0074 0065 006E 0074 0069 0061 006C 0044 0069 0066 0066 0065 0072 0065 006E 0063 0065

Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)

Potential Difference

Definition: Potential Difference