ESA Certified Alarm Technician Practice Exam

______________ is the force that causes a charge to move.

1. Current

2. Resistance

3. Voltage

4. Power

The correct answer is: Voltage

The correct response points to voltage as the force that causes a charge to move. In electrical terms, voltage, often referred to as electric potential difference, is the driving force that pushes electric charges through a circuit. It is analogous to water pressure in a pipe; just as higher pressure causes water to flow, higher voltage causes electric current to flow. Understanding voltage is essential because it is fundamentally linked to the behavior of electric current. A circuit requires a sufficient voltage to overcome the resistance within the circuit components, allowing current to flow and perform work, such as lighting a bulb or powering a device. This concept ties into Ohm's Law, which states that current is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance (I = V/R). This is why voltage is often seen as the key factor in initiating and sustaining the movement of charge in an electrical system.