potential, electric
Energy required to bring a unit electric charge from infinity to the point at which potential is defined. The SI unit of potential is the volt (V). Positive electric charges will flow ‘downhill’ from a region of high potential to a region of low potential.
A positively charged conductor, for example, has a higher potential than the Earth, the potential of which is taken by convention to be zero. An electric cell (battery) has a potential difference between its terminals, which can make current flow in an external circuit. The difference in potential – potential difference (pd) – is expressed in volts so, for example, a 12 V battery has a pd of 12 volts between its negative and positive terminals.
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