Orange Standards Of Learning (SOL) Practice Exam

Voltage is the driving force that pushes charges to move through a circuit. It’s the electric potential difference between two points, measured in volts, and it represents the energy per unit charge available to do work as charges move. When a complete loop exists, that potential difference pushes current to flow. Think of it like pressure in a water hose: the higher the pressure, the more water is pushed through the pipe. In circuits, higher voltage can push more current through a given path, but the actual current also depends on the resistance in the circuit, per Ohm’s law (I = V/R). The energy stored in a component is a separate idea—it’s about how much energy is stored at a moment (for example, in a capacitor), not what voltage itself is. And the rate of electrons flowing is the current, which is the effect produced by the voltage and the circuit’s resistance, not the definition of voltage itself.