20.2 Electric Current and Ohm’s Law
Potential Difference
Water falls spontaneously from a higher to a lower
height. Likewise, electric charges flow from a
higher to a lower potential energy.
• Potential difference is the difference in electrical
potential energy between two places in an electric
field.
• Potential difference is measured in joules per
coulomb, or volts. Because it is measured in volts,
potential difference is also called voltage.
Voltage