An emf (electromotive force) unit is the volt (V), which represents the amount of energy transferred per unit of electric charge.
In more detail:
Electromotive force (emf), often denoted by ε, describes the energy provided by a source (like a battery or generator) to each unit of electric charge that passes through it. It's crucial to understand that emf is not a force, despite its name. It's a measure of energy per unit charge.
Since emf represents energy transferred to a circuit per unit charge, its unit is derived as follows:
- Energy is measured in joules (J).
- Electric charge is measured in coulombs (C).
- Therefore, emf is measured in joules per coulomb (J/C).
The joule per coulomb (J/C) is defined as the volt (V).
Therefore, 1 volt (V) = 1 joule/coulomb (1 J/C).
In practical terms, a 12V battery, for example, provides 12 joules of energy to every coulomb of charge that flows through a circuit connected to it.
