Voltage is always measured between two points.
I found that difficult to understand back in the day.
Until I realized that measuring something between two points is a normal thing. For example, length is also always measured between two points!
For example, a 9V battery will have a 9V difference between the plus and the minus terminal.
Sometimes I say: "The voltage is 5V at point X."
What I mean is that it's 5V compared to the 0V in the circuit.
In a circuit with a 9V battery, the 0V would be the minus of the battery.
So what's a voltage drop?
Imagine a resistor and an LED connected in series to a 9V battery, like this:
The plus of the battery would be 9V (compared to the minus).
After the resistor and before the LED, you'd have a lower voltage.
So the voltage has "dropped" over the component.
Hence, "voltage drop".
Keep On Soldering!
Oyvind @ build-electronic-circuits.com
PS! Wherever you are on your journey, if you want to improve your electronics skills - here are two ways I can help you learn electronics:
- Get the eBook Getting Started With Electronics: A short and beginner-friendly eBook I wrote to help people get started. It contains clear and simple instructions to get started building electronics. If you're new, this is the perfect place to start.
- Ohmify is for people like you who are interested in electronics and want to learn skills like soldering, circuit design, Arduino, and circuit board design - while also building practical projects along the way.
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