Ohm's law

What is another word for Ohm's law? Here is its meaning, with related words and examples.

Noun — The rule that the current through a conductor is proportional to the voltage across it and inversely proportional to its resistance, written V = IR: voltage equals current times resistance.

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apply Ohm's law Ohm's law triangle V = IR

Written with a capital O and an apostrophe: Ohm's law. The unit, the ohm, is lower case; its symbol is Ω.

Etymology

Named after Georg Simon Ohm, the German physicist who established the relationship; the unit of resistance, the ohm, is named after him as well.

Full origin of Ohm's law →

Frequently asked questions

What is the formula for Ohm's law?

V = I × R, where V is voltage in volts, I is current in amps and R is resistance in ohms. Rearranged, I = V/R and R = V/I, so knowing any two values gives you the third.

What is the difference between Ohm's law and the power formula?

Ohm's law relates voltage, current and resistance. The power formula, P = VI, gives the rate at which energy is used, in watts. Combining the two yields the familiar variants P = I²R and P = V²/R.

Does Ohm's law always hold?

Only for ohmic materials, where resistance stays constant. Diodes, transistors, filament lamps and electrolytes are non-ohmic: their resistance changes with voltage, current or temperature, so a plot of current against voltage is not a straight line.

Nearby words

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