Okuzeka
Electrical & Electronics Engineering vocabulary · Circuits and Components

Resistor

Meaning in electrical & electronics engineering, with examples

/rɪˈzɪstər/nounCore term

In electrical & electronics engineering, resistor means: A 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.

In Turkish: direnç, rezistör

How it is used

One of the most common parts on any board. Engineers choose a resistor by value, tolerance, power rating and package, and talk about pull-up resistors, current-limiting resistors and series resistors. Values are often written in short form: 4k7 means 4.7 kΩ.

Example sentences

  1. Replace R12 with a 10 k resistor and check the output again.

  2. This resistor gets hot because it dissipates almost half a watt.

Common collocations

  • current-limiting resistor
  • series resistor
  • resistor value
  • resistor color code
  • quarter-watt resistor
  • resistanceHow strongly a material or component opposes the flow of electric current. It is measured in ohms (Ω); for the same voltage, higher resistance means less current.
  • toleranceThe allowed difference between a component's real value and its nominal value, usually given as a percentage. A 1 kΩ resistor with 5% tolerance can measure anywhere from 950 Ω to 1050 Ω.
  • pull-up resistorA resistor that connects a signal line to the supply voltage so that the line stays at a defined high level when nothing is driving it, instead of floating.
  • 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.
  • capacitorA component that stores electrical energy in an electric field between two plates. It is used to smooth supply voltages, filter noise, block DC and set timing.

More terms: Circuits and Components

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: