Encyclopedia >  Science and Technology  >  Computers and Electrical Engineering  >  Electrical Engineering

volt

volt [for Alessandro Volta], abbr. V, unit of electric potential and electromotive force. It is defined as the difference of electric potential existing across the ends of a conductor carrying a constant current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated is 1 watt. The kilovolt (1,000 V), the millivolt (0.001 V), and the microvolt (0.000001 V) are units derived from the volt. See voltmeter.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

More on volt from Fact Monster:

  • Son Volt - Son Volt rock group The members of Son Volt (1994–present) hail from Belleville, Illinois, ...
  • electron-volt - electron-volt electron-volt, abbr. eV, unit of energy used in atomic and nuclear physics; 1 ...
  • Glossary of Chemical Terms - V - vapor · venting · viscosity · volatile · volatize · volt · volume · vulcanization
  • ohm - ohm ohm [for G. S. Ohm], unit of electrical resistance, defined as the resistance in a circuit in ...
  • farad - farad farad [for Michael Faraday], unit of electrical capacitance, equivalent to 1 coulomb of ...

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Electrical Engineering