What is voltage, and how is it measured?

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Multiple Choice

What is voltage, and how is it measured?

Voltage is the electric potential difference that pushes electrons to move through a circuit. It’s like the pressure that drives current—the greater the voltage, the stronger the push behind the flow of charges. It’s measured in volts, with one volt equal to one joule of energy per coulomb of charge. In dental radiography, kilovolts (kV) describe the tube voltage, which sets the energy of the X-ray photons and influences beam quality and patient dose. We measure voltage with a voltmeter (often part of a multimeter) connected across two points so it draws very little current and doesn’t disturb the circuit. The other electrical properties are different: current is a measure of the flow of electrons (amperes), speed of electrons isn’t what voltage represents, and resistance is how much a component resists current (ohms).

Voltage is the electric potential difference that pushes electrons to move through a circuit. It’s like the pressure that drives current—the greater the voltage, the stronger the push behind the flow of charges. It’s measured in volts, with one volt equal to one joule of energy per coulomb of charge. In dental radiography, kilovolts (kV) describe the tube voltage, which sets the energy of the X-ray photons and influences beam quality and patient dose.

We measure voltage with a voltmeter (often part of a multimeter) connected across two points so it draws very little current and doesn’t disturb the circuit. The other electrical properties are different: current is a measure of the flow of electrons (amperes), speed of electrons isn’t what voltage represents, and resistance is how much a component resists current (ohms).

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