Explain the paragraph given below:-A voltmeter has high resistance so that it takes a negligible current from the circuit. The term volt" gives rise to the word "voltage". Voltage is the other name for potential difference."

The potential difference between points A and B, V_B – V_A, is defined to be the change in potential energy of a charge q moved from A to B, divided by the charge. Units of potential difference are joules per coulomb, given the name volt (V) after Alessandro Volta.

Potential difference is also called voltage and is measured in volts. Whenever there is a potential difference between two points, then the only current flows between those points.  

The instrument that is used to measure voltage or potential difference is called a voltmeter. Parallel circuits have the same voltage or potential difference. As a rule, voltmeters are connected in parallel across two points to measure the potential difference between them.

The voltmeter does not want current flowing through it, so has high resistance so that negligible current flows through it when it is connected in parallel across the circuit to measure the voltage. Ammeters used to measure currents in a circuit are connected in series and they have low resistance.

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Updated on: 10-Oct-2022

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