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Don't worry if it looks hard, it is hard maths (not needed until A level)... just look at the answer!

Scientific Model

A scientific model is like a scientific parable.... whereas a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly (spiritual) meaning, a scientific model is an earthly description in everyday terms with a deeper scientific meaning. Just as the analogy of a parable can't be taken too literally, so the model can't.... but its basic features help us to understand how something behaves.

A Scientific Model for Electric Potential

The fact that you are charged makes you susceptible to changes in something we call electric potential gradient (a type of electrical slope). The bigger the change in gradient (steeper the 'electric slope') the bigger push you experience from the electric force.

You therefore have to think of potential difference as an 'electric slope' that charges run down (or up... if they are of opposite charge!).

- the bigger the potential difference the 'steeper this slope' and therefore the bigger the force or push they receive.

- the bigger the charge on the particle the more charge moves each time therefore the bigger the current.

- the bigger the potential gradient for an electron in a wire the faster it moves, so the bigger the current flow (as current is rate of flow of electrons in a wire)

The voltmeter

This is an instrument for measuring potential difference. It measures the difference in electrical height between to levels of electric potential. Each of these are in volts, so it measures potential difference in volts.

Try these questions below:

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NOW LOOK AT POTENTIAL DIVISION - IT TAKES THE TOPIC FURTHER