voltage

[vohl-tij] /ˈvoʊl tɪdʒ/
noun, Electricity
1.
electromotive force or potential difference expressed in volts.
Origin
1885-90; volt1 + -age
Examples from the web for voltage
  • If there is a ripple in the voltage, the next electron in the beam has a different voltage.
  • Increasing the operating voltage will boost the energy density of the composite significantly.
  • The current that flows through a gate establishes a voltage at a particular point in the circuit.
  • If voltage wasn't enough to worry about, the world's electrical grid delivers current at different frequencies.
  • To use these appliances abroad requires some knowledge of electricity and, more important, the right plugs and voltage converters.
  • When a voltage is applied across the coating, the window darkens, allowing less light to enter but still permitting a view.
  • But when the critical current is exceeded, another voltage will develop across the junction.
  • Positive and negative electrical voltage affect the material differently.
  • The high voltage grid was formed into a cooperative owned initially by the distributors.
  • When voltage is applied, the polymer's electrons are raised to a higher energy level.
British Dictionary definitions for voltage

voltage

/ˈvəʊltɪdʒ/
noun
1.
an electromotive force or potential difference expressed in volts
Word Origin and History for voltage
n.

1890, from volt + -age.

voltage in Medicine

voltage volt·age (vōl'tĭj)
n.
Electromotive force or potential difference, usually expressed in volts.

voltage in Science
voltage
  (vōl'tĭj)   
A measure of the difference in electric potential between two points in space, a material, or an electric circuit, expressed in volts.
voltage in Technology

electronics
(Or "potential difference", "electro-motive force" (EMF)) A quantity measured as a signed difference between two points in an electrical circuit which, when divided by the resistance in Ohms between those points, gives the current flowing between those points in Amperes, according to Ohm's Law. Voltage is expressed as a signed number of Volts (V). The voltage gradient in Volts per metre is proportional to the force on a charge.
Voltages are often given relative to "earth" or "ground" which is taken to be at zero Volts. A circuit's earth may or may not be electrically connected to the actual earth.
The voltage between two points is also given by the charge present between those points in Coulombs divided by the capacitance in Farads. The capacitance in turn depends on the dielectric constant of the insulators present.
Yet another law gives the voltage across a piece of circuit as its inductance in Henries multiplied by the rate of change of current flow through it in Amperes per second.
A simple analogy likens voltage to the pressure of water in a pipe. Current is likened to the amount of water (charge) flowing per unit time.
(1995-12-04)