Think of a battery as a ski lift. It picks up skiers (charges) at the bottom and lifts them to the top, giving them gravitational potential energy. A 12 V battery gives 12 joules of energy to every coulomb of charge that passes through it. Components are like the ski slopes — they take energy from the charges as they pass through. A lamp with 12 V across it takes 12 joules from every coulomb. Voltage is just energy per charge — the "height" of the electrical "hill"!
This introduction covers The Ski Lift Model within Potential Difference for GCSE Physics. Revise Potential Difference in Electricity for GCSE Physics with 14 exam-style questions and 30 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 1 of 14 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Potential Difference
Which of the following is the correct definition of potential difference?
Explain what is meant by a potential difference of 6 V across a component.
Quick recall flashcards
P.d. equation?
V = E/Q where V = voltage (V), E = energy (J), Q = charge (C). Also V = IR.
What is 1 Volt?
1 Joule per Coulomb (1 V = 1 J/C)