Electrical resistance Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations
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electrical resistance
[ɪˈlɛktrɪkəl rɪˈzɪstəns ]
Definitions
physics
The opposition to the flow of an electric current through a conductor. It is measured in ohms and can be affected by the material, length, and cross-sectional area of the conductor.
Examples of usage
- The electrical resistance of a wire increases with its length.
- A higher cross-sectional area of a conductor will result in lower electrical resistance.
general
The ability of a material to resist the flow of electricity.
Examples of usage
- Copper has low electrical resistance, making it a good conductor of electricity.
- Rubber has high electrical resistance, making it a good insulator.
Translations
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Interesting Facts
Science
- Resistance is measured in ohms, named after the German physicist Georg Simon Ohm, who studied how electricity flows.
- Different materials have different levels of resistance; for example, copper has low resistance, making it ideal for electrical wires, while rubber has high resistance and is used as an insulator.
Technology
- In everyday technology, resistance plays a crucial role in designing circuits and electrical devices, influencing how they operate.
- Modern devices, such as smartphones and laptops, optimize resistance within their components to increase efficiency and reduce overheating.
Education
- Learning about resistance helps students understand fundamental concepts in physics and engineering, providing a foundation for more advanced studies.
- Experiments demonstrating resistance often involve materials of various types (like wires) to visually showcase how electricity behaves differently depending on the material.
Everyday Life
- Resistance is why your phone charger heats up when it's used for long periods; the energy lost as heat is a result of the resistance in the charger.
- Household items, like toasters and heaters, deliberately use resistance to convert electrical energy into heat for cooking or warming spaces.
Origin of 'electrical resistance'
Main points about word origin
- The word 'resistance' comes from the Latin 'resistentia,' meaning 'to stand firm against.'
- In electrical terms, resistance was first defined in the 19th century, with Georg Simon Ohm formulating Ohm's Law, which relates voltage, current, and resistance.
The concept of electrical resistance dates back to the 19th century when scientists were investigating the properties of electricity. It was through experiments and observations that the relationship between current flow and resistance was established. The discovery of Ohm's Law by Georg Simon Ohm in 1827 played a crucial role in understanding the behavior of electrical resistance in circuits. Since then, electrical resistance has been a fundamental concept in the field of electrical engineering and continues to be studied and applied in various technological developments.