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Resistance

Definition

Resistance is a measure of how much a material or device opposes the flow of electric current. It is determined by the material's properties and geometry, and it is measured in ohms.

Analogy

Think of resistance as a narrow hallway with lots of obstacles. The more obstacles there are, the harder it is for people to move through the hallway. Similarly, higher resistance makes it more difficult for electric current to flow through a material or device.

Related terms

Ohmic Device: An ohmic device is one that follows Ohm's Law, meaning its resistance remains constant regardless of the applied voltage.

Non-Ohmic Device: A non-ohmic device does not follow Ohm's Law and its resistance changes with the applied voltage.

Conductivity: Conductivity refers to how easily a material allows electric current to pass through it. It is the reciprocal of resistance and is measured in siemens per meter (S/m).



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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.