What do you use a resistor for?
Resistor can be used to reduce the voltage or current available in a circuit by adding resistance between 2 components of circuit.
The role of the resistor in an electrical circuit:
NOTE: The diagrams, links and practical questions in this document still need to be added: in DC or AC circuits having a resistor, as the name suggests, electron flow.
It is one of the most basic electrical components. It can be used to reduce the voltage or current available in a circuit. Although there are differences in how a resistor affects the two different types of current sources (DC or AC), depending on how the resistor is built and the frequency of the AC involved, it can be assumed that the following applies equally to both. For alternating current circuits, it may be necessary to indicate how the voltage, average value, peak value or root mean rate (RMS) are represented. If the type of AC voltage is not indicated, it is generally assumed to be the value (RMS)
As discussed in the Ohm Law section, in an electric circuit, the voltage (measured in volts and denoted by the letter V) is equal to the current (measured in amperes and denoted by the letter I) multiplied by the resistance (measured in ohms and denoted by letter R) present in the circuit. This is represented by the following formula.
V = IR or E = IR (Ohm’s law)
(Voltage is sometimes denoted by the letter “E”, which stands for electro-motive force)
A resistor is a small component that is designed to provide a certain amount of resistance in an electronic circuit. Because resistance is an essential element of almost all electronic circuits, you will use resistors in almost any circuit you build.
Although the resistors come in a variety of sizes and shapes, the most common type of resistor for hobby electronics is the carbon film resistor. These resistors consist of a carbon layer placed on an insulating material and contained in a small cylinder with wire wires attached at both ends. The resistor itself is about 1/4 “long and the pipes are about one centimeter long, making everything about 2-1 / 4” long.
Resistors are used for many reasons in electronic circuits. Some listed below.
Current limitation:
- By introducing resistance in a circuit, resistors can limit the amount of current flowing through the circuit. Under Ohm’s law, if the voltage in a circuit remains the same, the current will decrease if the resistance increases.
- Unfortunately, the LEDs do not know when to move away from the mains when it comes to power consumption. That’s because they have very little internal resistance. Unfortunately, the LEDs do not have too much current tolerance, so too much current will burn them.
- As a result, it is always prudent – essentially, to place a resistor in series with an LED to prevent the LED from burning.
- You can use Ohm’s law to your advantage when using current limiting resistors. For example, if you know what is the supply voltage and you know how much current you need, you can use Ohm’s law to determine the right resistor to use for the circuit.
Dividing voltage:
You can also use resistors to reduce the voltage to an appropriate level for certain parts of the circuit. For example, suppose your circuit is powered by a 3V battery, but part of your circuit needs 1.5V. You can use two resistors of the same value to divide this voltage in half, producing 1.5V.
Resistor/capacitor networks:
The resistors can be used in combination with capacitors for a variety of interesting purposes.
