Ohm's law

The current through the resistor is proportional to the voltage across it. A graph with Voltage (V) plotted against curent I is a straight line.

The voltage V is proportional to the current I. At once ...

V = IR

The ratio V/I is defined as R, the resistance in Ohm's (W). The resistance R is constant for metals at constant temperature.


Examples

The resistance for the red line is ...

4.2 / 0.20 = 21 Ohms

The resistance for the blue line is ...

3.75 / 0.40 = 9.4 Ohms


Ohm's law is a simple relationship in modern terms but Ohm had a difficult task. He had to make his own power supply and his own current meter. He didn't have a volt meter - he investigated the law with a constant voltage - but he probably never had a clear idea of exactly what voltage was.


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