Are you curious about how current behaves when it flows through a resistor? Many people wonder whether the current changes across a resistor or remains constant. In this blog post, we’ll explore this question in detail and provide you with some valuable insights. So, let’s dive in!
Does Current Change Across a Resistor?
When electricity flows through a circuit containing resistors, it encounters resistance that opposes its motion. This resistance is measured in ohms and is denoted by the symbol Ω. The amount of resistance offered by a resistor depends on its material, length, thickness, and temperature.
Now coming to our main question – does current change across a resistor? The answer is simple – yes, it does. According to Ohm’s law, the current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage applied across it and inversely proportional to its resistance. Therefore, if the voltage across a resistor remains constant and its resistance increases, the current flowing through it will decrease proportionately. Similarly, if the resistance of a resistor decreases while keeping the voltage constant, the current flowing through it will increase proportionately.
It’s essential to note that the total amount of charge entering and leaving any point in an electric circuit must be equal over time. This means that if less charge flows per second due to increased resistance (as we saw above), then it must take longer for each unit of charge to pass by that point.
In summary: Yes! The current does change across a resistor as per Ohm’s law.