How is voltage commonly represented in equations?

In electrical equations, voltage is commonly represented by the letter 'E' or 'V'. This is a standard convention in electrical engineering and physics. Voltage, which measures the electric potential difference between two points, indicates how much potential energy per unit charge is available to move electrons through a circuit.

Using 'E' comes from the term "electromotive force," which historically referred to sources of voltage like batteries. 'V' is used mainly in the context of voltage across components in a circuit, such as resistors. This notation helps in differentiating voltage from other electrical parameters such as resistance, which is represented by 'R'; current, represented by 'I'; and power, represented by 'P'. Understanding this notation is essential for analyzing electrical circuits and their behavior mathematically.