Practical takeaway
Voltage is electrical potential difference. In the metal conductors used in ordinary radio circuits, that electrical push causes electrons to move; current describes the rate of electron flow through the circuit.
Electricity & Electronics
Voltage & Current
Separate electrical push from electron flow and see how resistance changes the current.
TECHNICIAN FOUNDATION2 of 16
Technician exam focus
Recognize voltage (volts), current (amperes) and resistance (ohms), and understand that increasing voltage tends to increase current while increasing resistance tends to decrease it.
Two different ideas
Voltage is electrical potential difference.
For a first mental picture, think of voltage as the electrical push that can cause electrons to flow through a complete circuit.
Current tells us how much electron flow there is.
Current is measured in amperes, or amps. In ordinary metal wiring, electric current is produced by electrons moving through the conductor.
Resistance limits current.
With the same resistance, more voltage produces more current. With the same voltage, more resistance produces less current.
STEMulation
Change the push and the opposition
Voltage
Resistance
Current
Change one control at a time and watch the current respond.