Electrical voltage
Volts are the unit of measurement used for the strength of a electrical current.
The greater the voltage, the stronger the current.
In electrical wires and electric circuits this works a little like water pressure in a pipe. The greater the water pressure the more water moves through the pipe during a given period of time.
To carry high voltages, special high-voltage electrical transmission lines are required, just as you'd need a larger pipe to carry more water.
Compare the volts
| Source |
Voltage |
| Household batteries |
1.5 volts |
| A car battery |
12 volts |
| Lines bringing electrical supply into your house |
240 volts |
| Sub-transmission network taking power to the suburbs |
11,000 volts (11 kilovolts (kV)) |
| High-voltage transmission lines |
132,000 - 500,000 volts (132 - 500 kV) |
| Lightning |
Up to 300 million volts! |
|