Resistance

How it is used

Used when checking wires, contacts, insulation and components. You measure resistance with a multimeter in ohms mode and talk about high or low resistance, contact resistance, insulation resistance and the resistance of a cable run.

Example sentences

1. If the trace is intact, the resistance between the two pins should be close to zero.

2. Corroded terminals increase the contact resistance and make the connection run hot.

Common collocations

• measure the resistance
• contact resistance
• insulation resistance
• high resistance
• low resistance

Related terms

• resistorA component that limits current or divides voltage by providing a fixed amount of resistance. Its value is given in ohms and its power rating in watts.
• Ohm's lawThe basic rule that the current through a conductor equals the voltage across it divided by its resistance. It is usually written V = I × R.
• currentThe flow of electric charge through a conductor, such as a wire or a component. It is measured in amperes (A), which engineers usually just call amps.
• voltageThe electrical pressure that pushes current through a circuit, in other words the potential difference between two points. It is measured in volts (V).
• impedanceThe total opposition a circuit offers to alternating current, combining resistance and reactance. It is measured in ohms and usually changes with frequency.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• resistance · Physics

More terms: Voltage, Current and Power

• power
• AC
• DC
• capacitance
• power factor
• RMS
• voltage drop
• inductance