what does potential difference mean?
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The simple answer:\n\nPotential difference is the difference in electrical potential between two points.  Its unit is called the volt, so when one says voltage, they are talking about potential difference.\n\nFor example: A 12 volt battery means the positive terminal has an electric potential of 12 volts, and the negative terminal has a potential of zero.  Electrons can only move between two points if there is a potential difference.  The larger the difference, the faster/more the electrons move, thus yielding a larger current.\n\nIf you touch two wires that each have a potential of 10,000 volts, you will not get electrocuted because the potential difference is zero: no electrons will move.
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u know water flows from higher altitudes to lower.ie, for the flow of fluids a hight difference is needed ,,interms of energy a difference in potential energy is needed.like that for the flow of current a difference in electric energy is needed .this energy difference is called potential difference.\n\n              if we connect an emf source to a resister,the energy difference form btn the terminals of resister
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Potential energy is generally measured from a reference point of your choosing. If you choose the reference point (zero) to be above a point in the systen than you are at negative potential energy.
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The bigger the atom,\nthe taller the radius,\nthe taller the distance of the outer electron to the center of the ion,\nthe weaker the electric bond between the outer electron and the ion,\nthe lesser the first ionization energy.\n\nTh
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Potential energy levels are often given as negative numbers.  Potential energy is energy an object has due to its location or state. Two massive objects (a rock and the earth, for example) have more gravitational potential energy the further apart they are: you have to put energy into them to separate them, you can get the energy back out by letting them fall toward each other (potential energy is changed into kinetic energy).\n\nIn the case of an electron, it's potential energy due to its location relative to the positively charged nucleus; the further away from the nucleus, the higher the energy level of the electron.\n\nOK you knew all this already.  The point is that I can define any particular energy level (distance from the nucleus) as "zero".  If the electron is closer to the nucleus, it has "negative" potential energy, if further, it has "positive" potential energy.  It's arbitary; the only thing that matters is the difference between where it starts and where it ends up, meaning the change in its energy level, and that won't change with your definition of "zero" energy level.\n\nSo for convenience, physicists like to define potential energy levels at infinite distance (or separation) as "zero", and all others become negative.  Since these forces (gravity, electromagnetic force) fall off with the square of distance, potential energies at finite (nonzero) distances aren't "negative infinity".
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potential difference\ndue to which the crrent flows  through the ends of the battery due 2 which appliances work on cell or a battery
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Choice of reference simply means that you could designate a fixed potential -- o, positive or negative to a particular point, and then calculate the potential with respect to that point. P.D. on the other hand always remains fixed between two points -- no matter what your reference is!
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A current can only occur along a potential difference. Any vectorial information is included in that potential difference, the current just is the amount of charges exchanged along that potential difference over time.
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What makes the difference?
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Coulombs law.\nWhen the distance is made 3 times longer (for instance),\nthe force between the charges becomes 3^2=9 times smaller.
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Batteries use the different potential that certain chemicals have. Battery consists of 2 chemicals which potential different are significantly enough to generate voltage difference. Reaction happening in a battery is redox (reduction-oxidation) which allows electron transfer. Positive terminal of the cell has the higher potential.\n\nAs the reactant are all used up, reaction reaches equilibrium. This is when we found out that the battery is 'dead'.
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Voltage is the power potential.  Current is the speed and power at which that voltage goes through a given medium.  \n\nThink about this, Hoover dam.  It has inordinate amounts of potential.  If it sprung a small leak at the top and shot out watter, the force of that wouldn't be much at all to hurt you.  But, if you blew an 8 foot wide hole at the bottem of the dam, the force of the water would disentegrate you in an instant.\n\nElectricity was a very difficult concept for me to get.  However, when you start comparing it to something that is easy to see, touch, and feel, then it helps a lot.  Water is a perfect analogy in many ways.
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In case you are asking about a current versus potential difference plot, the slope at any point (or he reciprocal of it, depending on what you plot on the y-axis and on the x-axis) gives you the dynamic resistance there.
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"A potential gradient (E) is the local space rate of change of the potential.\n\nIn electrostatics then, it is the local space rate of change of the electric potential:\n\n    E = - delta V / delta s\n\nUnits are volts per meter (V/m). The electric field is the same as the potential gradient but with opposite sign."\n\nFrom Wikipedia,\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_gradient\n\nHope this helps!
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...electrical energy is created by a "difference of potential"  ...a more negative point of voltage  (-)to a less negative point (+) in a closed circuit. emf : electro motive force.
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electrical signals. "An important characteristic of neurons is that they have excitable membranes which allow them to generate and propagate electrical signals." "Membrane potential (or transmembrane potential or transmembrane potential difference or transmembrane potential gradient), is the electrical potential difference (voltage) across a cell's plasma membrane. In membrane biophysics it is sometimes used interchangeably with cell potential, but is applicable to any lipid bilayer or membrane. Hence every organelle and every membranous compartment (such as a synthetic vesicle) has a transmembrane potential (although the size of this potential may be zero)."
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differently from what?