Let us start with electric current, that is usually a ow of small particles called electrons.

They carry energy from the energy source (e.g. the battery or the generator) around the circuit.

Boiler

The electrons do not get used up. They are like water in a central heating system carrying heat from the boiler and owing back cold. A voltmeter measures the change of 1 energy of the electric current between one place and another, just as we might measure the change in temperature as water enters and leaves the radiator. 2 In this circuit a change in the resistance of the thermistor would 9 alter the balance of voltages measured and these values would be easy to measure.

The potential difference or voltage we measure is the number of joules of energy transferred to the bulb, in this diagram, by every coulomb of electricity. (See electric circuit calculations) 3 V If we had two radiators attached to our boiler, then the energy would be shared between them
Boiler

Potential difference (PD) and Potential dividers

6 If the resistors are of different sizes then different amounts of energy are transferred in each (just as a big radiator emits more heat than a small one)

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For example a temperature change changes the resistance of a thermistor 8 but the potential difference (voltage) across the thermistor in the circuit below would stay the same. The (tiny) current would alter but this is quite hard to measure.

7 The potential difference, measured by the voltage, is divided up in exactly the same ratio as the size of the resistors. This is a useful idea in practical measuring circuits. It is easy to measure a change in the potential difference.

Then, in a similar way, the energy of the electric current is divided by two resistors. The total energy is the same, it has just been divided into two parts.

These are potential dividers 4V V 12V V 8V V V V