Re: Meauring Volts?

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@CSUPOMONA.EDU>]

> They should know better; we've discussed this type of thing before.
> And when I ask them whether they use a ruler to measure the
> centimeters or whether they use a ruler to measure the length they
> think it is pretty obvious as well as pretty silly.  But electricity
> seems different; and we seasoned scientists are part of the problem
> because we call it a voltmeter rather than a voltage meter or a
> potential-difference meter.

I'm not sure whether I think this problem stacks up against many
others as one worth losing much sleep over, but I confess it nags at
me too.  I think Rick is right that poor conceptual understanding
exacerbates the problem, but I'm surprised that neither of you point
to the word "voltage" itself as a source of the problem.  We don't
talk about meterage, or secondage, kilogramage, coulombage, etc., so
why do we accept voltage?

Of course, the answer, as with so many inconsistencies in our
terminology, has to do with the complex way in which conventions are
established by contorted historical paths and practice.  Frankly, I'd
hate to have to eliminate the word "voltmeter" from my vocabulary as
much as I'd hate to have to add "potential difference meter."

What we need is a word like "oomph" that is not as unwieldy as
"potential difference" and that does not bias us toward an arbitrary
unit system like "voltage."

So shall we add that wish to our list of pipe dreams?

--
John Mallinckrodt        mailto:ajm@csupomona.edu
Cal Poly Pomona          http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm