Final answer:
The amount of potential needed to make one coulomb of charge do one joule of work is known as voltage, which is one joule per coulomb or one volt. Voltage plays a key role in the transfer of electrical energy and the calculation of electric power in circuits.
Step-by-step explanation:
The amount of potential necessary to cause one coulomb to produce one joule of work is a voltage. Voltage is defined as the work done per unit charge, and the potential difference is often referred to simply as voltage. This unit of electric potential, or voltage, is named volts (V), after the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta. One volt is equal to one joule per coulomb (1 V = 1 J/C). When considering electrons, the concept of an electron-volt (eV) is also used, which is the energy given to a fundamental charge accelerated through a potential difference of 1 V.
In practical terms, moving one coulomb through a potential difference of one volt results in one joule of energy. This relationship can be expressed mathematically as E = qV, where E is the energy in joules, q is the charge in coulombs, and V is the voltage in volts. Moreover, this is essential when calculating electric power (P) in an electrical circuit, as power is the product of current (I) and voltage (V), according to Joule's law. Hence, for an electric circuit, the term voltage is crucial in understanding how electrical energy is transferred.