The conventional way of thinking about current flow in a circuit is that it flows from the positive terminal of the battery to the negative terminal (or ground). Alternating Current (AC), as used in households where the flow of charge is in both directions and the voltage changes with time, is produced by the vehicle's alternator but is converted by a set of diodes (the rectifier) into DC which is then used to charge the battery. The type of current utilised in the running of vehicle electrical systems is Direct Current (DC) where the flow of charge is in one direction and the voltage level is constant. Similarly, if you increase resistance then less current will flow in a given amount of time. If you reduce the size of the pipes then less water will flow in a given amount of time.Similarly, if you increase voltage then more current will flow in a given amount of time. If you increase water pressure then more water will flow in a given amount of time.This analogy can also be continued when we think about changing these values: A garden sprinkler will have 'power' due to the rate at which it converts the energy in the water into energy to rotate, just as a bulb will have a power as it converts electrical energy into light and heat. Watts is a universal measurement of energy conversion (or 'work done') so it applies equally to water systems as it does to electrical systems. Ohms in analogous to the size of the pipes.Amps is analogous to the flow rate of water through the pipes.Volts is equivalent to the water pressure in the plumbing system.It's often helpful to understand these concepts by using the analogy of a plumbing system: Watts (P) - Power, which is a measure of the rate at which an electrical circuit converts electrical energy into another form.Ohms (R) - A measure of electrical resistance to the flow of current in a circuit.Amperes (A) - A measure of the amount of electric current flowing past a point in a circuit in a given amount of time (commonly abbreviated to 'Amps').Additionally some older cars and motorbikes may use 6V. ![]() In most modern passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and small craft this is 12V, however larger commercial vehicles, agricultural equipment and large boats may use 24V. Volts (V) - A measure of electrical potential difference between two points in a circuit.These terms are commonly used when describing electrical circuits: Describing the workings of an electrical circuit
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