Let me explain potential drop (also called voltage drop) in a simple and clear way:
Potential drop refers to the decrease in electric potential energy as current flows through a component in a circuit. Think of it like water flowing down a series of steps – at each step, the water loses some potential energy.
In electrical terms:
- When current flows through any component (like a resistor or LED), it loses some electrical energy
- This loss is measured in volts (V)
- The voltage measured across that component is the potential drop
For example:
- If you have a 9V battery powering a circuit
- And a resistor in that circuit has 2V across it
- We say there is a 2V potential drop across that resistor
This follows Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law – the sum of all potential drops around any closed loop in a circuit equals the total voltage supplied by the battery.