Author: tim@ckra.cc

Voltage is the force of the electricity, it measures the electrical pressure. The electricity is very similar to a garden hose with water and the voltage is the pressure of the water.

Whether the water is flowing through the hose or not, the pressure is constant like the voltage is always there. Because the voltage is the energy potential or how much force is ready to be used, it can tell you what appliances you can hook up to your electrical system.

If you have a 12-volt appliance, you can hook up to a 12-volt battery, same as a 110-volt appliance hook up to a 110-volt battery, you can think of voltage as a way to understand compatibility.

Electrons move in two main ways – DC(Direct Current) and AC(Alternating Current). 

Let’s take a look at this battery. It has a positive(red) and negative(black) terminal. You connect it to an appliance by attaching two wires to both terminals.