The two important electricity terms are volt and amp. Both these electrical quantities are closely related and may be difficult to understand. In this article, we will discuss the difference between volt and amp.
Volt is the SI unit of the voltage. Other names of voltage are the potential difference and electromotive force. Amp is the SI unit of the current.
Apart from the difference of units of volt and amp, we can further differentiate the volt and the various other factors.
Comparison Chart– Volt Vs Amp
| Basis For Comparison | Volt | Amp |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | It is the measurement of the electromotive force that causes the flow of electrons through the conductor. | Rate of flow of electrons through the conductor. caused by the potential difference |
| Analogy | Voltage can be compared to the pressure of water stored in a large tank or pipe | Ampere can be compared to the rate or speed of the water at which it flows through the tank or pipes. |
| Point of measurement | Voltage is measured across two points in a circuit. | Current can be measured at any point in a circuit. The current is basically the number of electrons passing a point per second. |
| Formula | Joule/coulomb | Coulomb / second |
| Abbreviation | V | A |
| Measuring Quantity | Voltage, electromotive force, and potential difference. | Electric current. |
| Measuring Instrument | Voltmeter | Ammeter |
What is Volt?
When a unit charge moves from one point to another point, it does work. The work done is measured in Volt. Volt is the unit of the potential difference, electric potential, and electromotive force. We represent volt by the symbol V. The other subunits of volt are Micro-volt, millivolt, kilovolt, and mega-volt. If the one-coulomb charge moves from one point to the other point and it does one Joule work, then this work done is equal to one Volt.
If you connect the positive and the negative leads of a voltmeter to the positive and the negative terminals of the battery, the reading that the voltmeter shows is in Volt.
What is Ampere?
The ampere is the SI unit of electric current, and it measures the rate of flow of electric charge through the conductor. Ampere is represented by the symbol A. The potential difference between two points causes the current to flow. One ampere is equal to the one coulomb of charge moving in one second, which is mathematically equal to the 6.242 X 1018 times the elementary charge.
Key Difference between Volt and Amp- Summary
- The volt measures the electromotive force that drives the electrons to flow through the conductor whereas the amp measures the rate of flow of electrons.
- Volt is equal to the ratio of joule per coulomb(V=J/Q) whereas the amp is equal to the ratio of coulomb per second(I=Q/t).
- The volt and Amp are represented by the symbols V & A respectively.
- The volt is the unit of voltage, potential difference, and electromotive force. On the other hand, Amp is the unit of current.
- The voltmeter measures the Volt whereas the ammeter measures the Amp.