potential difference
nounDefinition of potential difference
: the difference in potential between two points that represents the work involved or the energy released in the transfer of a unit quantity of electricity from one point to the other
Examples of potential difference in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Passing suitably moist air through the inner cylinder causes that cylinder to accumulate electric charge, thus creating a potential difference between the cylinders which could be harnessed to drive a current through an external circuit. — The Economist, "How to wring power from the night air," 1 Aug. 2019 Passing suitably moist air through the inner cylinder causes that cylinder to accumulate electric charge, thus creating a potential difference between the cylinders which could be harnessed to drive a current through an external circuit. — The Economist, "How to wring power from the night air," 3 Aug. 2019 Harrison is the biggest potential difference maker up front, someone who destroys blocking schemes with his size and strength. — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, "Inside the Detroit Lions: Menacing D-line could be ticket to 2019 success," 28 July 2019 With a potential difference maker in Jarrett Culver sitting on the draft board, the Suns decided to trade back with the Minnesota Timberwolves to No. — Jeremy Cluff, azcentral, "Phoenix Suns the big loser in 2019 NBA draft after questionable trades, picks," 21 June 2019 After all, the change in charge — potential difference — is super, super high. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, "Bolts from the blue: Here’s how lightning can strike when a storm is tens of miles away," 27 June 2018 The large potential difference also means that positive bolts don’t necessarily need to stick around near the storm. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, "Bolts from the blue: Here’s how lightning can strike when a storm is tens of miles away," 27 June 2018 Even so, some would have liked to have seen S Derwin James, a potential difference-making playmaker in the secondary, taken after the first-round trade-down. — Mark Maske, chicagotribune.com, "NFC draft grades: The Giants and Cardinals pass with flying colors. The Saints do not.," 30 Apr. 2018 The study wasn’t big enough to detect any potential differences in patient survival. — Washington Post, "Warming, not cooling, donated livers may improve transplants," 18 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'potential difference.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for potential difference
potential difference
noun
potential dif·fer·ence
| \ -ˈdif-(ə-)rən(t)s
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Medical Definition of potential difference
: the difference in electrical potential between two points that represents the work involved or the energy released in the transfer of a unit quantity of electricity from one point to the other — compare action potential, generator potential, membrane potential, resting potential