How does ohm law help us

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By: - April 05, We examine what this law describes and how it can help you improve the efficiency of your thermal system using power and temperature controllers. Since the German physicist Georg Ohm first discovered the law, it has improved our understanding of how electrical circuits work.

Here are the definitions and abbreviations of these features of an electric circuit:. In the s, Ohm concluded that the current passing through a metal conductor was directly proportional to the voltage applied across that conductor. Expressing this in a mathematical form, the result is the basic equation:. Put another way, the voltage of a circuit equals the current multiplied by the resistance.

OEMs and design engineers use this formula to determine the resistance without turning off an electric system. These expressions are all the same basic formula, but they can be conveniently rearranged for quick reference when varying factors are constant or unknown. Take a look at the equation to see how wattage relates.

The power in watts W is equal to the voltage in volts E times the current in amps I. Or mathematically:. To understand how the resistance of an electric circuit affects your thermal system, review different circuit setups and heating solutions.

This knowledge helps you purchase the optimal electric heater and controller for your application. Identifying the amount of current that will be flowing in your system is important for ensuring that system components are protected with proper fusing or circuit breakers. How to Increase Amperes. How to Convert mW to mA. How to Reduce 12 Volt to 6 Volt. Characteristics of Aquatic Plants. How to Power a LED. How to Convert 12 Volt to 6 Volt.

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The German physicist Georg Ohm described the relationship between voltage, current and resistance in his eponymous equation. The equation can be rearranged in a simple way to produce a formula for calculating current based on voltage and resistance, or resistance based on the current and voltage. You can use the water flow analogy to remember the key points, which is based on a pipe with one end at the top of a hill and one end at the bottom.

The voltage is like the height of the hill a steeper, taller hill means more voltage , the current flow is like the flow of water water flows faster down a steeper hill and resistance is like the friction between the sides of the pipe and the water a thinner pipe creates more friction and reduces the speed of the water flow, like a higher resistance does for electric current flow. Working through some basic examples shows you how this is done.

How much current flows when you connect the circuit? Now imagine that this is the perfect amount of current for a component you want to power, but you only have a V battery. How much resistance should you add to make sure the component gets the optimal amount of current? A light bulb is a perfect example of a non-ohmic resistor.