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How are units of volts and electron volts related? How do they differ?

a) Volts and electron volts have the same units.

b) Volts are larger units than electron volts.

c) Electron volts are larger units than volts.

d) There is no relationship between volts and electron volts.

User Dara Kong
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Final answer:

Volts are a unit of potential difference, while electron volts are a unit of energy, specifically the energy gained by an electron moving through a potential difference of one volt. Thus, volts are larger units than electron volts. The correct answer is b) Volts are larger units than electron volts.

Step-by-step explanation:

The units of volts (V) and electron volts (eV) are related but serve different purposes. A volt is a unit of electric potential difference or electromotive force, while an electron volt is a unit of energy used particularly on the submicroscopic scale.

The electron volt is defined as the amount of kinetic energy gained or lost by a single electron when it moves across an electric potential difference of one volt. Therefore, an electron volt is equal to a volt multiplied by the elementary charge (e).

Answering the multiple-choice question, the correct option is b) Volts are larger units than electron volts. A single electron volt is a much smaller unit of energy than a volt since it is specifically the energy an electron gains moving through a potential difference of one volt.

It is essential to measure voltages between two points because the potential difference is always relative to another point. It is the difference in electric potential that causes current to flow, rather than the absolute value of the voltage itself.

User Thanos Diacakis
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