What is the difference between voltage source and current source

Ideal voltage source produces voltage independent of current delivered by the source. In case of an ideal voltage source, the internal impedance must be zero. So, the voltage remains the same no matter what amount of current is drawn from the source. Now, if the load resistance connected across it tends to zero, the load current tends to infinity. Ideal Current source produces current independent of voltage delivered by the source. For an ideal current source, the internal impedance must be infinite.

Now, if the load resistance connected across it tends to be infinite, the load voltage must be infinite in order to maintain the current constant. There is no ideal voltage source. In reality, every voltage source has a minimum amount of internal impedance. Thus the voltage is not always the same as the ideal one. There is always a current rating on the voltage source available in the market. The current rating is the indicator for the maximum amount of current drawn from the source. There is no existence of an ideal current source.

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Farcher Farcher Hash Hash 1 1 gold badge 9 9 silver badges 19 19 bronze badges. Figure B shown below gives the circuit diagram and characteristics of Practical Voltage Source:. The example of voltage sources is batteries and alternators. An ideal current source is a two-terminal circuit element which supplies the same current to any load resistance connected across its terminals.

It is important to keep in mind that the current supplied by the current source is independent of the voltage of source terminals. It has infinite resistance. A practical current source is represented as an ideal current source connected with the resistance in parallel.

The symbolic representation is shown below:. Figure C shown below, show its characteristics. Figure D shown below shows the characteristics of Practical Current Source.