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About Resistors
Word Origin and Invention Origin
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David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
C.S. Bradley filed the first patent for a resistor, made of a carbon and rubber compound, in Britain in 1885.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
We owe our understanding of much of the basic principles of resistance to George Simon Ohm, born in 1789, who taught in several universities in Bavaria over his lifetime. Ohm published a series of papers detailing the results of his experiments relating resistance to voltage, current, and electric power. Today Ohm's equations are affectionately called “Ohm's Law” and the “Power Law.” The unit of resistance, the “ohm,” is named after George Ohm.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Simple Explanation
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Resistors are among the simplest of circuit elements, they do exactly what their name implies &
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Units
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Resistance is measured in units of “ohms,” designated by the greek letter omega, “Ω”.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
One ohm is defined as the electrical resistance required to create a “pressure difference” (electric potential) of one volt across the resistor in the presence of a one amp current of electrons.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Ω
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
=
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
V
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
=
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
(mkg)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
A
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
(sA)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Where
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. : |
Ω = Ohms
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
V = Volts
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
|
A = Amps
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
|
m = Meters
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
|
kg = Kilograms
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
|
s = Seconds
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Kinds and their Uses
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Resistors are commonly used to lower the voltage between circuit elements. Using Ohm's law we can determine fairly easily how much a given resistor will lower the voltage when electrons force their way to its back side.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Keep in mind that, alone for the purpose of lowering voltage, resistors are inefficient and dissipate a lot of energy in the form of heat &
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
-
Carbon Composition -- The preferred resistors of the 1960s and earlier, but newer technology has
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. better tolerance, voltage dependence, and stress stability (carbon comp. resistors will change value over time when regularly stressed with over-voltages)
Wikipedia:
Undoubtedly, you already know how usefull wikipedia can be. ; however, carbon comps are able to withstand larger short term voltage surges than many other types of resistors and are highly tolerant of electro-static discharges. A wife's tale is floating around that no one uses these resistors any more, but this is quite untrue, these resistors remain in common use.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.- Made from a mixture of finely ground (powdered) carbon and an insulating material (usually ceramic). The mixture is held together by a resin. The resistance is determined by the ratio of the fill material (the powdered ceramic) and the carbon. Higher concentrations of carbon, a weak conductor, result in lower resistance.
Wikipedia:
Undoubtedly, you already know how usefull wikipedia can be. - If not in use, these resistors will take on moisture from the environemnt over time and change in value. To reverse this “aging” effect, simply heat a resistor up; often, the soldering process is enough to return a carbon comp resistor to within tolerance.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
- Made from a mixture of finely ground (powdered) carbon and an insulating material (usually ceramic). The mixture is held together by a resin. The resistance is determined by the ratio of the fill material (the powdered ceramic) and the carbon. Higher concentrations of carbon, a weak conductor, result in lower resistance.
- Film Resistors – A common type resistor today, these come in many forms including chip, surface-mount, and axial. Film resistors utilize a resistive film sprayed on a non-conductive base material and covered by a protective paint. They can be manufactured to quite low tolerances. Scratch one of these resistors, and you will often see a shiny base material underneath – the outer coating is where the electrons flow. Super small surface-mount resistors are almost always film resistors.
- Some common films are metal-oxide, tantalum, and cermet.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. -
Wirewound -
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. Commonly made by winding a metal wire around a ceramic, plastic, or fiberglass core.
Wikipedia:
Undoubtedly, you already know how usefull wikipedia can be. These tend to be useful in high power applications, but are inductive, so they are not a good choice for circuits that require quick current changes (ie: high frequency circuits). High power ceramic, or “cement,” resistors are one type of wirewound resistor.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.- The aluminium cased types are designed to be attached to a heatsink to dissipate the heat; the rated power is dependent on being used with a suitable heatsink, e.g., a 50 W power rated resistor will overheat at around one fifth of the power dissipation if not used with a heatsink.
Wikipedia:
Undoubtedly, you already know how usefull wikipedia can be.
- The aluminium cased types are designed to be attached to a heatsink to dissipate the heat; the rated power is dependent on being used with a suitable heatsink, e.g., a 50 W power rated resistor will overheat at around one fifth of the power dissipation if not used with a heatsink.
- Variable Resistors – Like the name says, you can change the resistance value of these. Also called “potentiometers,” “trimmer potentiometers,” or “rheostats,” they are commonly mechanically adjustable via a screw or rotating knob of some kind; for example, the volume knob on many stereo systems is a simple potentiometer attached to an amplifier circuit.
- Pencil lead is a carbon compound (like a carbon-comp resistor). To make a simple potentiometer, get a bare piece of pencil lead and connect one end to positive voltage. You can now slide a conductor along the lead and the voltage will decrease the further you get from the charged end.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. - Thermistor – A special kind of resistor whose resistance depends on its temperature. These resistors are commonly used in thermometers. If you have a digital thermometer that can read temperature almost instantly, it probably uses a thermistor.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. - Photoresistor – A special resistor whose resistance depends on the light hitting it. Street lights can use a photoresistor to tell them when to turn on and off.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. - Strain Gauge – A special resistor whose resistance depends on the strain it experiences. Useful for measuring the strain on an object undergoing mechanical stress.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. - Ballast Resistor – These are not always resistors, and sometimes are highly complex computerised units, but the basic principle is that they are a resistive unit that changes resistance based on environmental factors (temperature, etc) so as to affect current flow. Like ballast in a boat, an electronic ballast “weighs the system down” when needed.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. - Memristor – This is not really a resistor, but we'll list it here for fun. Memristors are one of the great discoveries of the 21st century; previously only theorized, researchers at the HP labs have recently discovered how to make them. Memristors are a fourth basic circuit element, complementing the other three (resistors, capacitors, and inductors), and have the potential to revolutionize the electronics industry.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Value Explained
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Resistance values are written on resistors commonly in a banded color code, some resistors forgo the colors and write the same code in numbers and letters (alphanumeric), but either way the code is useful to know. See the table below.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
First band = the first significant digit (ie: the first digit in the number)
Second band = the second significant digit (ie: the second digit in the number)
Third band (optional) = the third significant digit (ie: the third digit in the number)
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Multiplier band = (can be the third or fourth, depending on the presence of the optional third band) the number of zeroes you add after the last significant digit.
Tolerance band = (can be the fourth or fifth, depending on the presence of the optional third band) how far from the declared resistive value it is allowed to vary, typically by a percentage (ie: a 100Ω-5% resistor can register anywhere between 95Ω and 105Ω)
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:
Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from
the beginning.
Sixth band (optional) = this band is usually left out
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
(and will always be the sixth band, because it is only found on resistors with three significant value bands , plus the multiplier and tolerance bands)
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:
Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from
the beginning.
, but will represent either:
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
- the temperature coefficient which is the change in the resistive value based on temperature
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. - or, the failure rate which is parts per million per 1,000 hours at full wattage.
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:
Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning.
| Color | 1st band | 2nd Band | (Optional) 3rd Band |
Multiplier | Tolerance | 6th band | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp. Coefficient | Failure Rate | ||||||
| Black | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 | -- | -- | -- |
| Brown | 1 | 1 | 1 | 101 | 1% (F) | 100 ppm | 0.1% (M) |
| Red | 2 | 2 | 2 | 102 | 2% (G) | 50 ppm | 0.1% (P) |
| Orange | 3 | 3 | 3 | 103 | -- | 15 ppm | 0.01% (R) |
| Yellow | 4 | 4 | 4 | 104 | -- | 25 ppm | 0.001% (S) |
| Green | 5 | 5 | 5 | 105 | 0.5% (D) | -- | -- |
| Blue | 6 | 6 | 6 | 106 | 0.25% (C) | -- | -- |
| Violet | 7 | 7 | 7 | 107 | 0.1% (B) | -- | -- |
| Grey | 8 | 8 | 8 | 108 | 0.05% (A) | -- | -- |
| White | 9 | 9 | 9 | 109 | -- | -- | -- |
| Gold | -- | -- | -- | 10-1 | 5% (J) | -- | -- |
| Silver | -- | -- | -- | 10-2 | 10% (K) | -- | -- |
| (none) | -- | -- | -- | -- | 20% (M) | -- | -- |
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
For example, here are some imaginary codes with the corresponding meanings:
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Colors
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Alpha Numeric
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Actual Value
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
|---|---|---|---|
1)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Blue, orange, orange, gold
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
233J
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
63,000 Ω ±5%
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
2)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Brown, black, red, silver
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
102K
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
1000 Ω ±10%
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
3)
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
Yellow, green, black, yellow, brown, yellow
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
4504FS
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
4,500,000 Ω ±1% 25ppm
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
4)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Brown, black, gold, red
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
1R0G
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
1Ω ±2%
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
5)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Brown, red, silver, gold
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
R12J
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
0.12 Ω ±5%
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
6)
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
Brown, yellow, black, red, green
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
1402D
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
14,000 Ω ±0.5%
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
7)
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
Green, red, black, yellow, brown
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
5204F
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
5,200,000 Ω ±1%
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. |
- Note that the examples are fairly straight forward except for numbers (4) and (5), which have an “R” included in the alphanumeric code. The “R” stands for “radix point,” which is the same thing as the decimal point in our case, and is used when the resistance value needs no zeroes added.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. - Also, note that examples (6) and (7)
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. have the same band order, and
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:
Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning. the only way to tell numbers apart is to look at the resistor and see where the bands are, and how large they are. Some rules of thumb:
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.- The 1st band always starts very close to the edge of the resistor
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. - The tolerance band is usually wider than the rest
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. - The temperature coefficient band will always be at the far end of the resistor, opposite the 1st band (obviously)
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. , and is occasionally spaced further way from the other bands than the rest of the bands are spaced from one another.
Mehile "Mo" Orloff:
Mehile Orloff is one of the founding members of VCI, and has been an integral part of our growth from the beginning.
- The 1st band always starts very close to the edge of the resistor
- The temperature coefficient, measured in PPM/K (parts per million per degree Kelvin) relates with the resistor failure rate, written as the percentage of units expected to malfunction within 1,000 hours of operation at the resistor's specified power rating.
- Unless you have a special temperature-critical application this is not something to worry about. As a general rule of thumb, a failure safety-factor of two is good. Get resistors that are rated for twice the power that you expect them to encounter.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Resistors are not hard to read once you've seen a few and know what they look like.
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Equations and Formulas
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David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Ohm's Law: (note that these are all permutations of the same mathematical formula)
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
I
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
=
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
V
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
R
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
R
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
=
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
V
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
I
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
V = I R
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Where:
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
V = Voltage (in volts)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
I = Current (in amps)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
|
R = Resistance (in ohms)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
The Power Law:
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
P
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
=
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
V
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
=
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
I
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
R
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
=
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
V
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
I
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
R
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. Where: |
P = Power (in watts)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
I = Current (in amps)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
|
R = Resistance (in ohms)
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Resistors in Series:
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
Rtotal=R1+R2+R3
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Resistors in Parallel:
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
1
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
=
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
1
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
+
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
1
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
+
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
1
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Rtotal
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
R1
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
R2
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. > |
R3
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again. |
Tolerance
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
There are many different tolerances and codes. Here is a complete list:
David Hazel:
David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast
to have around the shop, but as our inhouse
engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.
| Tolerance Color Codes | Tolerances which lack color codes |
|---|---|
| ±1% (F) | ±20% (M) (blank) |
| ±2% (G) | ±0.01% (T) |
| ±0.5% (D) | ±0.02% (Q) |
| ±0.25% (C) | ±3% (H) |
| ±0.1% (B) | |
| ±0.05% (A) | |
| ±5% (J) | |
| ±10% (K) |
David Hazel:David Hazel has been a key player for VCI since April of 2008. Not only is he a blast to have around the shop, but as our inhouse engineer, his knowledge and skill-sets have proven invaluable time and time again.