Volt
SI unit of measurement
Definition of Volt
A volt is the standard unit of electrical potential or electromotive force, meaning it’s the measure of the pressure that moves electricity between two points in an electrical circuit—measuring the voltage.
For appliances, the volts displayed indicate the force of electricity needed to work properly. It’s crucial to match the volts on your light fixtures and appliances to the voltage of your electrical outlets to avoid overheating or malfunction.
Let’s consider this in practice:
Standard household light bulbs, for instance, are typically 110 V to match the 110-125 V range of American households.
If one wanted to use 12 V accent lighting, they would need a low-voltage transformer to convert the electrical current to a lower voltage, avoiding overheating and blown bulbs.
Conversely, most boats operate on a 12 V or 24 V electrical system. In such cases, low voltage lights are the perfect accessory, for example, the Caprera II LED Flood Light - Dual Color.
However, if the same boat stays docked for a prolonged period, the primary power source may switch to higher voltage shore power to conserve fuel; in which case a higher voltage light would be necessary, such as the Slim AC LED Flood Light 30W.
Fun Fact: Volt is named after the 18th century Italian physicist Conte Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta, who is credited as the inventor of the electric battery.
Example of Volt in a Sentence
"Nearly all Class 2 boats and below, that have an electrical system, operate at a nominal voltage of 12 volts "
Related Terms for Volt