Resistor what is

If you add some voltage to it, nothing really happens. BUT, by using resistors, you can design your circuit to have the currents and voltages that you want to have in your circuit. Then I tried using only the battery and the LED, and it still worked!

But after a few seconds, the LED turned really hot. So hot I almost burned my fingers. Then I started to realize that maybe there was something to these resistors. Read more about using a current limiting resistor. Learning to work with resistors is important in electronics. Learn about choosing a resistor. What does it do to my circuit? There are two main circuit symbols used for resistors.

The oldest one is still widely used in North America and consists of a jagged line representing the wire used in a resistor. The other resistor circuit symbol is a small rectangle, and this is often termed the international resistor symbol and it is more widely used in Europe and Asia.

The Omega sign is often omitted and the decimal point replaced by the multipler: e. There are many different types of resistor. Some are for special applications like being used as variable resistors, and others are used for surge limitation whilst others provide a variable resistance with temperature. All of these characteristics can be used. However for fixed resistors there are different characteristics that need to be taken into account. Even though the actual resistance of the component is of paramount importance, other characteristics also need to be taken into consideration.

Power dissipation, noise, inductance, thermal stability and a number of other characteristics may all have a bearing on the operation of the circuit in which the resistor is used. Different materials and different structures within the resistor can have a major impact. Accordingly when selecting a resistor to be used, these characteristics must also be taken into consideration. The first major categories into which the different types of resistor can be fitted is into whether they are fixed or variable.

These different resistor types are used for different applications:. Whilst the majority of resistors are standard fixed resistors or variable resistors, there is a number of other resistor types that are used in some more niche or specialised applications. Although resistors may be thought of as simple electronics components to use, there are a number of parameters that need to be considered when choosing the correct resistor type. Parameters apart from just the resistance are important.

Voltage withstand, power dissipation and the actual type of resistor itself all have an impact on the performance. With a variety of resistor types available, it is necessary to choose the correct type for any particular application. In this way the best performance can be assured. Selection of fixed leaded resistors or various types What is a resistor? Note on Resistance: Resistance is one of the key factors used in electricla and electronic circuits.