12 Chapter One

Figure 1-13 Four pairs of charged bodies with some difference of potential. Each pair
of charges is attracted by the some amount of force.

The smallest negative charge is already understood to be that of the electron.

And the charge of a proton is the smallest positive electric charge. Such charges
are too small and not useful in terms of establishing a basic unit of measurement.

A Practical Unit of Charge

The practical unit of charge is the coulomb. It is the negative charge made by
6.25 ⫻ 1018 electrons. The term 1018 means it takes 6,250,000,000,000,000,000
electrons to produce a coulomb. Expressing it any other way than “6.25 times
ten to the 18th” is awkward. (Some textbooks use 6.28 instead of 6.25. This is
because 6.28 is 2π rounded off.)

The Volt
The volt is the unit for potential difference. It is used to indicate the electrical
pressure or force needed to move coulombs of electric charge. The volt is also
used to measure a unit of electromotive force (emf). The emf is the moving force
behind an electric current. The volt is used and understood everywhere. The
term voltage is often used to refer to potential difference.