22 Understandable electric circuits

+ +

+V V

V>0 V<0

Figure 1.18 Reference polarity of voltage

Reference polarity of voltage

Assuming an arbitrarily chosen voltage polarity as the reference polarity
of voltage:
If V 4 0 the actual voltage polarity is consistent with the reference
voltage polarity.
If V 5 0 the actual voltage polarity is opposite to the reference vol-
tage polarity.

Figure 1.19 shows three methods to indicate the reference polarity of voltage:
Expressed with an arrow, the direction of the arrow points from positive to
negative.
Expressed with polarities, positive sign () indicates a higher potential
position, and negative sign (7) indicates a lower potential position.
Expressed with a double subscription, for instance Vab, indicates that the
potential position a is higher than the potential position b.
a
+

R V R V R Vab

Figure 1.19 Methods indicating the reference polarity of voltage

1.6.3 Mutually related reference polarity of current/voltage

If the reference direction of current is assigned by flow from the positive side to
the negative side of voltage across a component (the reference arrow pointing
from to 7), then the reference current direction and reference voltage
polarity is consistent. In other words, along with the current reference direction