Which is the speed of electrons in a current and which is the pressure: volts and amps?

Question

I know that double thick volumes of wire are required for half the voltage twice the amperage so I figure amps are the pressure of the current but want confirmation from an electrician.
Out of intrest, as all resources become scarcer is there any possibility that America could change over to 220 to 240v standard domestic current to improve efficiency or will that always be a non-starter?

Answer 1

Approaching the speed of light, the differential "Pressure" is Volts the "Amount" (number) of Electrons is Amps.

CURRENT: I = V/R or I = P/V
VOLTAGE: V= P/I or V = IR
POWER: I2R or VI
RESISTANCE: R = V/I

Most homes already have 220 volts wired up, to run 220v appliances the difference is US is 60 Hz Europe is 50 Hz

I believe it is the "Safety" aspect (or maybe cost/benefit ratio) of running 220 volts that is the issue here in the US.

Sorry I. B. Zoxx got it backwards: The water pressure is the volts the water volume is the amps. You can have a Million amps available but if the voltage is below 28 volts and you touch it you will feel nothing (due to the resistance of your skin - some people have high resistance and can take a little more volts while some have less and can not take as much - I believe the safest voltage is 24 volts or less for humans).
Auto manufacturers would love to run your car on 120 volts (they could cut 50 pounds of copper wire from most cars) but alot of folks would probably die from touching bare wires in their cars LOL
Anyone with an electric car and the voltage is over 28 volts, DON'T TOUCH IT!.
Sorry I'm an EE not an Electrician the main difference I've noticed is that Electricians use their fingers to tell how many volts are on a wire while I use a Multimeter.........Just Kidding LOL

Thank you dmb06851 well put 8-)

Answer 2

Think of the wire as a water pipe. Voltage is more or less flow rate. Current is more or less like water pressure.
That is why static electricity doesn't hurt you - lots of voltage and tiny current. If it was the other way around (low voltage and very high current), you would be dead.
Hope this helps.
The US will never change over to 220vac because the cost of infrastructure would be prohibitive.

Answer 3

I. B. Zoxx said "Voltage is more or less flow rate. Current is more or less like water pressure."

On the contrary. It is exactly the opposite to that.

It should be quite obvious from the word "current." A current is a rate of flow, whether it be water, or electricity.

In liquids it may be expressd in, for example, gallons per minute.

In electricity it is expressed in coulombs per second and is given the name amperes, named after the French physicist Ampère, and abbreviated to the upper case A.