Electrical principles - Terminology
Resistance
The filament of the globe contains resistance.
In an electrical circuit, resistance means opposition to current flow.
The amount of resistance is directly related to how easily atoms of specific materials give up electrons. Conductors have low resistance and insulators have high resistance.
In an electrical circuit, components such as globes or appliances such as toasters provide resistance to current flow. All electrical components and circuits, including the wire, have resistance that will cause opposition to current flow.
The unit for measurement of resistance is the ohm.
Quantity |
Symbol | Unit |
Abbreviation |
Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
resistance |
Ω |
ohm |
R |
opposition to current flow |
A device or component that is marked 10Ω will contain 10 ohms of resistance.
