Ohm's Law is a fundamental principle in electric circuits that describes the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance. It states that the current through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points and inversely proportional to the resistance.
Mathematically, Ohm's Law can be stated as:
V = I * R
Where:
V
is the voltage across the conductorI
is the current flowing through the conductorR
is the resistance of the conductorThis relationship allows us to calculate any one of the three variables if the other two are known. Let's see how Ohm's Law can be applied in practical circuit analysis.
Example 1:
Suppose we have a circuit with a voltage source of 12 volts and a resistance of 4 ohms. Using Ohm's Law, we can calculate the current flowing through the circuit as follows:
I = V / R
I = 12 V / 4 Ω
I = 3 A
Example 2:
Alternatively, if we know the current flowing through a circuit and the resistance, we can calculate the voltage:
V = I * R
V = 2 A * 6 Ω
V = 12 V
Ohm's Law is an essential tool in circuit analysis as it allows us to determine the behavior of a circuit, solve for unknown values, and predict the effects of changes in voltage, current, and resistance.