Term EMF is acronym for Electro-Motive-Force , that is a Force that Moves Electri

c Charge.
(in some circles, that'd be electrons).It is not implied by the name of that ter
m whether
the origin of the Force is elecrostatic, magnetic , thermoelectric , or electroc
hemical.
E.M.F and denoted by , is not a forc . It is d fin d as th n rgy utiliz d in as
s mbling
a charg on th l ctrod of a batt ry wh n th circuit is op n.Simply, it is th
work don
p r unit charg which is th pot ntial diff r nc b tw n th l ctrod s of th
batt ry
m asur d in volts. Math matically, V=Wq.
Initially, n rgy is availabl in th form of ch mical n rgy. This n rgy is ut
iliz d to
tak a charg say +q to th anod by ov rcoming th l ctrostatic forc of attr
action
du to th th n gativ charg s on th cathod and th l ctrostatic forc of r
pulsion du
to th positiv charg s on th anod . Th ch mical n rgy th n g ts transform d
into
l ctrostatic pot ntial n rgy pr s nt in th l ctric fi ld b tw n th l ctro
d s of th batt ry.
EMF r f rs to voltag g n rat d by a batt ry or by th magn tic forc according
to Faraday's Law,
which stat s that a tim varying magn tic fi ld will induc an l ctric curr nt
.
El ctromotiv "forc " is not a forc (m asur d in n wtons) but a pot ntial, or
n rgy p r unit of charg ,
m asur d in volts. Formally, mf is th xt rnal work xp nd d p r unit of char
g to produc an
l ctric pot ntial diff r nc across two op n-circuit d t rminals. Th l ctric
pot ntial diff r nc
produc d is cr at d by s parating positiv and n gativ charg s, th r by g n ra
ting an l ctric fi ld.
Th cr at d l ctrical pot ntial diff r nc driv s curr nt flow if a circuit is
attach d to th sourc of mf.
Wh n curr nt flows, how v r, th voltag across th t rminals of th sourc of
mf is no long r
th op n-circuit valu , du to voltag drops insid th d vic du to its int r
nal r sistanc .
Discussion of EMF is usually car ful to point out that its m asur m nt r quir s
that th g n rator (or batt ry)
b on op n-circuit or no-load condition, (I=0), so that th voltag you m asur
at th t rminals is qual to th EMF.
If th r is curr nt flowing, th n int rnal r sistanc of th g n rator or motor
or batt ry will caus th voltag
you m asur at th t rminals to diff r from th tru EMF.
Which m ans that all EMF ar voltag s but not all voltag s ar EMF. A voltag is
only an EMF if it is a sourc of n rgy.
First Th word "forc " in this cas is not us d to m an m chanical forc , m asur
d in n wtons, but a pot ntial,
or n rgy p r unit of charg , m asur d in volts.It is n ith r th cr ation of po
t ntial, nor it is a proc ss and
it is not v n a forc . It cam to b known as a forc b caus wrongful int rpr
tation in th past mad it s m
as if a forc from th batt ry push d th particl s in a circuit. This analysis

was obviously discard d lat r

but th nam pr vails!
In l ctric circuits mf and pot ntial hav a significant diff r nc . Whil th
mf is th pot ntial diff r nc b tw n th t rminals of a sourc in op n circui
t, th pot ntial is th pot ntial diff r nc b twr n th t rminals in a clos d o
n .
Th pot ntial is d fin d as V= Ir. Here is the emf of the source and Ir is tue pote
ntial drop in the internal resistance. It is pretty clear that replacing potenti
al with emf in any sort of circuit is not a very wise decision, however sometime
s the potential drop in internal resistance is negligible.