The volt is a unit that refers to the electromotive force, electric tension and electric potential.
Volt is the name given to a derived unit that is part of the International System and is used to express electric potential , electric tension and electromotive force . The word volt comes from Volta , the surname of the physicist who invented the electric battery: Alessandro Volta ( 1745 – 1827 ).
A volt is equivalent to the potential difference that is registered between two points of a given conductor when, to carry a charge of one coulomb from one point to the other, it is necessary to carry out the work of one joule .
What is a volt
As can be seen in the definition mentioned above, it is necessary to know several concepts to understand what a volt is. Electric potential is the work required by an electrostatic field to transport a positive charge between two points. A coulomb is a unit of measurement linked to the amount of electrical charge that a certain current carries in one second. A joule , on the other hand, is a unit that refers to the work required to transport an electric charge of one coulomb.
It must be taken into account that, when two points with a potential difference are linked through a conductor, a flow of electrons is generated. This process of movement of charges is what we know as electric current . Volts allow us to quantify the difference in potential or electrical voltage that is produced.
In homes in most South American nations, electricity is rated at 220 volts.
Electricity values
Home electricity, in most South American countries, is rated at 220 volts (or 220 V , since V is the symbol for volt), while in North America it is 120 V.
Cars generally use 12V electricity. It should be noted that the number of volts can be named as voltage .
Standard Volt
On the other hand we find the standard volt , which we can define as the voltage needed to generate, in a Josephson oscillator , a frequency of 483,597.9 GHz . This oscillator has a more stable than normal oscillation frequency , and it is defined in the formula f = 2eΔV / h , where e represents the charge of the electron , and h is Planck's constant .
This last concept, which is also known as the Josephson effect , appears when an electric current takes place between two superconductors that are separated by tunneling, that is, when the particles penetrate an impedance or potential barrier that exceeds their own kinetic energy.
In the standard volt, the relationship between voltage and frequency across the junction depends exclusively on e and h , the fundamental constants . The frequency of one microvolt applied to said junction is 483.6 MHz .
Unit Establishment
Regarding the history of the volt, it dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, when Alessandro Volta created a battery, the first step on the path to the emergence of the battery , which generated a constant electric current. Volta found the most efficient way to use the metals silver and zinc for the production of electricity.
Around 1880, the current International Electrotechnical Commission, which was then called the International Electrical Congress, officially recognized the unit of the volt for measuring electromotive force. At that time, batteries built and calibrated specifically for that purpose were used to measure the reference volt in a laboratory.
It is worth mentioning that many people often confuse the concepts "volt" and " watt ". This last term is defined as a magnitude of power, just as in automobiles we speak of horsepower ; A common mistake is to consider it a magnitude of energy, and this is seen in conversations about electricity consumption in the home.