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electromotive force

(EMF)
(force that drives an electric current)

Electromotive force (EMF) is the electric "force" that drives an electric current, produced by batteries, generators, etc., which is quantified as volts. Where there is a voltage difference, there is an electromotive force equal to that difference.

EMF is not a physical force (as in F=ma), but is analogous to a pressure, i.e., it is a quality that can produce a force, the amount of force depending on the EMF (and other factors). EMF differs from measured voltage in that it refers to a quality of a source of electricity when no current is flowing but voltage measurement is generally carried out by measuring the electric current through a resistor of known resistance. EMF is the limit of such a measured voltages given higher and higher resistance and a measured voltage over a sufficiently resistance will be close to the actual EMF.


(electricity,measure)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromotive_force
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elevol.html

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