In electrical terms, voltage is defined as which of the following statements?

• A. The force that pushes electrons to move through a conductor.
• B. The force that causes electrons to move from atom to atom in a conductor.
• C. The rate of electron flow.
• D. The resistance to current.

Answer: (B)

Voltage is the push that makes electric charges move by creating an electric field in a conductor. That force causes electrons to move from one atom to another, producing current. So this statement captures voltage as the driving force behind current. The rate at which electrons move is current, not voltage, and resistance is what opposes that flow. Voltage, measured in volts, is the electrical potential difference that provides that driving force.