One of the major Difference Between VOLT and WATT is that the volt is the SI unit of potential difference and electromotive force, whereas the watt measures the SI unit of power.Â
Both the volts and watts are related to each other. The volt measures the potential differences of supply sources or the voltage of the electrical devices. The symbolic representation of the volt is V. The measurement taken in volts is easier as compared to watts because watts are the product of the two quantity i.e., voltage and current. The watt is represented by W. It measures the power used by the electric devices.
What is Volts?
1 Volt is defined as the difference in electric potential difference across a wire when 1A current dissipates 1 Watt of power across the wire. Volts is that the SI unit of potential difference and EMF. The symbol is V.
One formula for volts is:
V = Potential Energy/ Charge
The base Unit is KgM2A-1S-3. Volts are measured by employing a Voltmeter. Volts describe a tiny low portion of voltage from the ability source. The reading taking of Volts is extremely easy compared to Watts.
Think of watts, not in terms of strength or capacity but speed or rate. The rate of flow of water through a garden hose or a vehicle’s speed is a good analogy for watts.
What is a Watt?
Watts is that the SI unit of Power (P). Watts specifies the speed at which energy is transferred. The symbol is W. One formula for watts is:
W = Volts × Current
The base Unit is KgM2S-3. Watts will be measured by employing an electric meter. Watts gives a more realistic measurement for Power. The reading taking of Watts is difficult since it requires the quantities of both voltage and current.
Like watts—a word derived from the English inventor James Watt—volts is named after another inventor, Italian Alessandro Volta. Volta invented a precursor of the electric battery.
Difference between volt and watt table
| Watts | Volts |
|---|---|
| Watts specifies the rate at which energy is transferred. | 1 Volt is defined as the difference in electric potential across a wire when 1A current dissipates 1 Watt of power across the wire. |
| Basic Definition | |
| Watts is the SI unit of Power (P). | Volts is the SI unit of potential difference and EMF. |
| Symbol | |
| W | V |
| Measuring Device | |
| Watts can be measured by using a Power meter. | Volts can be measured by using a Voltmeter. |
| Formula | |
| One formula for watts is: W = Volts × Current | One formula for volts is: V = Potential Energy/ Charge |
| Measurement Details | |
| Watts gives a more realistic measurement for Power. | Volts describe a small portion of voltage from the power source. |
| Measurement Difficulty | |
| The reading taking of Watts is difficult since it requires the quantities of both voltage and current. | The reading taking of Volts is very easy when compared to Watts. |
Watts and volts are not independent of each other. Watts cannot exist without volts since they are the product of a combination of volts and amps.
In basic terms and using the hydraulic analogy, volts are similar to pressure and watts are similar to rate.
The Travel Rate Analogy
Understanding the basic concept of rate is key to understanding watts vs. volts.
Speaking to a friend about traveling, one could say that the vehicle covered 65 miles. While this is useful information, it doesn’t give a full picture of exactly what just happened.
You may have said that you drove 65 miles, but what’s the greater context of this? Did you drive it in about one hour? That’s normal and expected. If you drove it in three months, that’s a completely different thing. This is where time comes into play.
Time by itself, too, is incomplete data. If you told the friend that you drove for ten hours, the friend might follow up by asking where you drove or how far you drove. Discussing the length of a car trip is an incomplete set of data.
One set of data deals with distance in the physical world; another set deals with time. Instead of juggling two sets of data back and forth, it is much more helpful and convenient to come up with a single number that combines the two. That number is the rate.
So, the formula V x A = W is similar to the car trip example; both indicate rate. With the car, that rate is the familiar designation MPH (miles per hour): rate is equal to distance divided by time.
In electrical systems, amperage and voltage are useful sets of information. But wattage is an additional usual body of data because it combines the two to produce an indicator similar to rate or speed.
