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A positively charged box (plus pole) with the charge \(Q\) is located at a certain distance from a negatively charged box (minus pole) with the charge \(Q\). A small test charge \(q\) is placed near the positive box. This test charge experiences an attractive force in the direction of the negatively charged box. It is accelerated and reaches a certain speed at the negative box. Thus the test charge has gained kinetic energy \(W\). If you divide this energy by the test charge \(q\), you get the voltage \(U\) between the two poles:\[ U ~=~ \frac{W}{q} \]
Voltage is the energy (per charge) gained by the test charge as it travels the distance between the positive and negative poles.