What develops potential difference between two terminals?
Answers
In a circuit, an electric field is created. This electric field forces electrons to move. ... Hence, the potential energy of the electron falls. A potential difference in a circuit merely means that work is done on electrons by an electric field as they pass through the circuit and their potential energy changes.
I will try to explain with some examples. There is never a potential difference when there is equilibrium.
You can think of it as a height difference. Think of positive potential as a high point and the negative one as a low point or ground. So there is a height difference. A thing at the high point is bound to come down.
Similarly, whenever there is charge imbalance, a potential difference is created. I tried to explain as well as I could but the question of exactly how it is created is kind of an abstract thing. It's like asking how the height difference is created between the two points.
Hope it helps.