® Volt Drop Explained

Water flowing through a pipe, pressure gauges on each end. The pressures are the same.
Same pipe, same situation, but now the pipe has some crud in it midway. The pressures at the beginning and the ends of the pipe are now different.
A simpler way to read it, one gauge sensing both ends at the same time, comparing them. The reading therefore is the difference. This is all voltage drop is, is the difference in pressure between one part of a wire and another.
Now the same thing electrically. Two meters indicating voltage at beginning and end of a wire. Equal readings.
However, add corrosion midway and now the two meters read different from each other. The electrical pressures are not the same.
And just as with the water pipe, we can use just one meter and read simply the difference. This is voltage drop.

Email me
© 1996-2021 Mike Nixon