Difference Between Voltage and Current (Voltage vs Current)

Difference Between Voltage and Current (Voltage vs Current)

The major difference between voltage and current is that voltage is the potential difference of electrical charges between two points in an electric field, whereas the current is the flow of electrical charges from one point to the other point in an electric field.

We can simply say that the voltage is the cause of the current to flow whereas the current is the effect of voltage.

The higher the voltage, the more the current to flow between two points. Note that if two points in a circuit are at the same potential then current cannot flow between those points. The magnitude of a voltage and current depends on each other (as per Ohm’s law).

Other differences between voltage and current are discussed in the table below.

Voltage	Current
The voltage is the difference in potential between two points in an electric field.	The current is the flow of charges between two points in an electric field.
The symbol of the current is I.	The SI unit of current is ampere or amp.
The symbol of voltage is V or ΔV or E.	The symbol of current is I.
Voltage can be measured by using a voltmeter.	Current can be measured by using an ammeter.
In a parallel circuit, the magnitude of voltage remains the same.	In a series circuit, the magnitude of the current remains the same.
The voltage creates a magnetic field around it.	The current creates an electrostatic field around it.
Dimensions of voltage is	Dimensions of current is
In the hydraulic analogy, electric potential or voltage is equivalent to hydraulic water pressure.	In the hydraulic analogy, electric current is equivalent to hydraulic water flow rate.
The voltage is the cause of the current flowing in the circuit.	An electric current is the effect of a voltage.