Final answer:
A circuit's connection determines how electric charge moves, driven by the potential difference, or voltage, from a source like a battery. Ohm's Law describes the relationship between voltage as the cause and current as the effect, with resistance acting to impede this current. Voltage generates an electric field that moves charges, creating an electric current.
Step-by-step explanation:
The connection in a circuit significantly affects electric charge and voltage. When a circuit is complete, it allows for the movement of charge; this movement is due to the force exerted by a potential difference created by a voltage source like a battery or generator. The potential difference, measured in volts, is effectively the 'push' that drives the charges through the circuit, causing an electric current.
Ohm's Law states that the current flowing through most materials is proportional to the voltage applied to it. However, this current flow is impeded by resistance, which is a property of the material's composition that restricts the flow of charge, similar to the way friction restricts motion.
Voltage sources such as batteries do not create charge; they generate an electric field which then exerts a force on the existing charges, causing them to move and create an electric current. The relationship between electric field and electric potential is central to understanding how charges move in a circuit. In summary, the voltage 'pushes' while the resistance 'resists' the flow of electric charge through a circuit.