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Difference between Voltage and Voltage Drop

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025
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Voltage, referred to as electric potential difference, is the driving force behind the flow of electric charge in a circuit. It is generated by a battery or any voltage source, which converts chemical energy into electrical energy, pushing electrons through the circuit.

As current flows through different components, such as resistors, some of the energy is absorbed by these components, resulting in a voltage drop. This drop represents the work done per unit charge as it moves through the component. Here, we will discuss the concepts of voltage and voltage drop, exploring how energy is transferred and consumed in electrical circuits.

What is Voltage?

The voltage is defined as the difference in potential energy between two locations in a circuit. A voltage or potential difference is the difference in charge between higher and lower potentials. 

  • Voltage, or potential difference, forces electrons to move through the circuit. It represents the difference in potential between two points, with one point having a higher potential than the other. Voltage is measured in volts and can be determined using a voltmeter.
  • The higher the voltage, the stronger the force driving electrons through the circuit, resulting in more electrons moving. Without a voltage or potential difference, electrons would move randomly in open space instead of flowing in a directed manner.
  • Current is directly proportional to voltage. Larger electrical appliances require higher voltage and current compared to smaller ones. For example, the voltage can be supplied by sources such as power plants, batteries, and more.

Now Look into this DC Circuit,

DC Circuit
Battery (V) drives current through the bulb,

 

Here, battery (V) is the voltage, the current flow to the bulb to glow and reaches back to the power source.

Voltage Drop

The difference in potential over any two points is known as voltage drop. Here the voltage source is greater than the voltage drop. We can say that voltage is split across the components (like passive components or others) connected in the loop.

This drop might be induced by a resistor, capacitor, or inductor (in AC), or it could be caused by anything else too. The voltage loss is proportional to the resistance, according to the ohm's law.

The voltage drop formula is given by the Ohm's law as,

V = R × I

where,

  • V is the voltage drop (in Volts),
  • R is the resistance (in Ohms), and
  • I is the current (in Amps).
Voltage Drop

Here, in the circuit, the battery (V) is the voltage or power source, V1 is the voltage drop across R1, V2 is the voltage drop across R2 and V3 is the voltage drop across R3.

Difference between Voltage and Voltage drop

Voltage 

Voltage Drop

Voltage is nothing but potential difference.Voltage drop is derivated from voltage.
It is nothing but producing
voltage.  
It is nothing but a loss in voltage.
Summing all the voltage drops 
makes a voltage.
Voltage drop is not a total voltage 
but a part of the voltage.
Voltage is a power source, the element is
active (its own voltage).
Here voltage drop is some other voltage 
created by an external source. The elements
like a (passive) resistor, capacitor, etc.
This can have a voltage without the flow of current.This cannot have a voltage drop without the flow of 
current.
It is a force that makes electrons move 
in a circuit.
Voltage is generated through current passing in a
component.
The unit for voltage is Volt.The unit for voltage drop is also Volt.

Sample Questions

Question 1: If a current of 12 A is flowing through a circuit that has a resistor of 8 ohms, calculate the total voltage.

Answer:

Given that,
Current (I) = 12 A,
Resistor (R) = 8 ohms.
Now, using the formula,
V = I × R
= 12 × 8
= 96 V

Question 2: What is the current flowing through the resistor 30 ohms, if the voltage is 60 V and 120 V?

Answer:

Given that,
For case I:
V = 60 V
R = 30 ohms
Therefore, using the formula:
V = I R
or 
I = V/R
= 60/30
= 2 A
Now, for case II:
V = 120 V
R = 30 ohms 
I = V/R
= 120/30
= 4 A

Question 3: Calculate the voltage drop V3 across the R3 resistor, If the voltage is 120 volts and R1 is 12 ohms, R2 is 5 ohms, R3 is 8 ohms.

Sample Questions on Voltage and Voltage Drop

Answer:

Given that,
V = 120 volts 
R1 =12 ohms
R2 = 5 ohms
R3 = 8 ohms
Using the formula, lets determine the equivalent resistance:
R = R1 + R2 + R
=12 + 5 + 8
= 25 ohms
Now, from the formula, 
I = V/R
= 120/25
= 4.8 A
So voltage drop across R3 is,
V3 = R3 × I
= 8 × 4.8 
= 38.4 V

Question 4: Calculate the total voltage from the given circuit if R1 is 2 ohms, R2 is 4 ohms, R3 is 12 ohms and current I is 34 A.

Sample Questions on Voltage Drop

Answer:

Given that,
R1 = 2 ohms
R2 = 4 ohms
R3 = 12 ohms
I = 34 A
To find R,
1/R = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3  
= 1/2 + 1/ 4 + 1/ 12
= 5/6
or
R = 6/5 
R = 1.2 ohms 
Now to find V,
V = I × R
= 34 × 1.2
= 40.8 V

Question 5: Calculate the value of the resistance, if the voltage across the circuit is 27 V and the current flowing through it is 3 mA. 

Answer:

Given,
Voltage  V  = 27 V
Current  I = 3 × 10-3 A
Resistance R = ?
from formula , V = I × R
R = V/I
= 27 / 3 × 10-3 
= 9 ×103 ohms

Conclusion

Voltage is the electrical potential difference between two points, commonly seen as the "pressure" that drives electrons through a circuit. Voltage drop, however, refers to the decrease in voltage as current passes through a component or section of the circuit. This loss of voltage occurs due to the energy consumed by the component, such as a resistor.



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