A Quick Guide To Understanding The Principles of Ohm’s Law

One of the most fundamental laws for electrical theory is Ohm’s Law because it links voltage and current to the properties of a conductor or its resistance. These three elements are considered to be major circuit quantities, which is why understanding Ohm’s Law is quite important if you want to familiarize yourself with electrical concepts. This article provides a quick guide to understanding the principles of Ohm’s Law.

Ohm’s Law in Brief

Ohm’s Law was designed by a German scientist named George Ohm after performing several experiments. In this law, he describes how current flows through a conductor when various levels of voltage are applied. In a gist, he theorized that the current flowing in a circuit is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance.

Ohm’s Law Formula

The Ohm’s Law formula is quite straightforward. In mathematical terms, it is expressed as the voltage is the product of current and resistance. Ideally, the voltage is expressed in Volts, the current is expressed in Amperes, while the resistance is expressed in Ohms. This is quite apparent in the Ohm’s Law triangle that positions the voltage on top. From there, you will garner that to compute for the current, you only need to divide the voltage over the resistance. In the same manner, to calculate the resistance, just divide the voltage over the current.

Electrical Power in Circuits

The power in a circuit is defined as the rate at which the circuit consumes or produces energy. More often than not, you will notice that the higher the value or rating of light bulbs and heaters in Watts, the more electrical power they are most likely to consume. It, therefore, follows that the higher your utility bill would be at the end of the month.

The Power Triangle

The power triangle is characterized by three elements, namely the power, current, and voltage. The power is on top of the triangle or the pyramid. From there, all you need to remember is that to compute the power, you can simply multiply the voltage and current. On the other hand, if you want to compete for the current, you only need to divide the power over the voltage. Similarly, to calculate the voltage, you simply need to divide the power over the current.

Ohm’s Law Pie Chart

The Ohm’s Law pie chart is also sometimes referred to as the Ohm’s Law wheel. When you learn how to use Ohms law wheel, then you will find it more effortless to understand the relationship between voltage, current, power, and resistance. Generally, the chart or the wheel is divided into four sections, each representing the voltage, current, power, and resistance accordingly and how each of these elements can be calculated.

With the wheel, you will find that the voltage can be calculated by multiplying the current and resistance or dividing the power over the current. You can also take the square root of the product of the power and resistance to find the voltage. On the other hand, the current can also be calculated in three ways, namely dividing the voltage over the resistance, dividing the power over the voltage, or taking the square root of the quotient of the power over the resistance.

From the wheel, you will be able to compute the power by multiplying the voltage and resistance or multiplying the square of the current and the resistance. You can also divide the square of the voltage over the resistance to compute the power. When it comes to the resistance, you can compute it by dividing the voltage over the current, dividing the square of the voltage over the power, or dividing the power over the square of the current.

Ohm’s Law Matrix Table

The Ohm’s Law pie chart can also be transformed into a matrix table that can likewise make it easy for you to understand the relationship between different electrical variables. With the matrix, you will know in a single glance that if you have the current and resistance values, then you will already be able to compute the voltage and power while if you have the voltage and current values, then you will be able to calculate the resistance and power. On the other hand, if you know the power and current, you will be able to figure out the resistance and voltage, while if you know the voltage and resistance, then you will be able to come up with the current and power. Knowing the power and resistance values will allow you to calculate the current and voltage while knowing the voltage and power will enable you to compute the resistance and current accordingly.

Electrical Energy in Circuits

When you can compute the power, and you have an idea of the time it was consumed, then you will be able to calculate electrical energy as well. Electrical energy is often measured in Joules, which is the product of the power in Watts and time in seconds. With this knowledge, then you can also compute the power by dividing the electrical energy over the time that power was consumed, which means that one Watt is one Joule per second.

Electrical Power and Energy Triangle

The electrical power and energy triangle includes three primary elements which are energy, power, and time. To compute the energy which is on top of the triangle, the power and time should be multiplied. On the other hand, to compute the power, the energy should be divided by time and in the same manner, to calculate the time, the energy only needs to be divided over the power.

In case you want to dig deeper into electrical concepts, then you have to have a good understanding of one of the most fundamental laws involved in it, which is Ohm’s Law. Apart from the formulas, you also have to familiarize yourself with how each of the elements that comprise it is related, such as the voltage, current, and resistance. Rest assured that there are tools that you can utilize, such as the Ohm’s Law wheel, to make this challenging feat a bit more effortless for you to overcome.