What is a resistor and how does it work?
A resistor is a passive electrical component with two terminals that implements the electrical resistance as a circuit element. In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal levels to divide voltages, influence active elements, and terminate transmission lines among other uses.
How does a resistor work?
Many of your Make Crate projects require different resistors in circuits, so you can ask what a resistor does, how it works and what happens if you let it out. a material that easily transports electricity – and an insulator – one that forbids the flow of electricity. Different materials can drive electricity more easily than others. Sometimes we want to reduce the flow of electricity, and the introduction of materials that slow down the flow can help. Here comes the resistances.
Let’s start with a vocabulary:
- Electricity is the flow of electrons, which are negatively charged particles.
- The voltage is the charge difference between two points in a circuit. Voltage is also the force of an electric current.
- Current measures measure how quickly electrons flow.
A simple way to understand the difference between voltage and current is to think of a water tank draining through a hose attached to a hole in the bottom. Here, water acts as the flow of electricity. Voltage is the amount of water pressure and the current is how fast the water drips.
