ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel The Engineering Mindset How to use a Resistor – Basic electronics engineering
When working with electronic circuits, sometimes the resistor value you need isn’t available. In such cases, you can combine different resistors to get the desired resistance. For example, if you need a 200-ohm resistor, you can connect two 100-ohm resistors in series. Alternatively, you could use two 50-ohm resistors along with a 100-ohm resistor. When resistors are connected in series, their values add up, making it easy to increase the total resistance.
If you want to decrease the resistance, you can connect resistors in parallel. To find the equivalent resistance of parallel resistors, you need to use a specific formula. For instance, if you have two 10-ohm resistors in parallel, you can calculate the equivalent resistance, which will be 5 ohms. Similarly, two 5-ohm resistors in parallel will result in a total resistance of 2.5 ohms. A 200-ohm resistor combined with a 50-ohm resistor in parallel will give you 40 ohms of resistance, and three 10-ohm resistors will provide 3.33 ohms of resistance.
To determine the value of a resistor, you can look at the colored stripes on its body. These stripes indicate the resistor’s value. Typically, resistors have four or five bands. In a four-band resistor, the first two stripes represent the digits, the third stripe is the multiplier, and the fourth stripe indicates the tolerance. For example, a resistor with brown, black, brown, and gold bands corresponds to the values: 1 (first band), 0 (second band), and a multiplier of 10, resulting in 100 ohms. The gold band indicates a tolerance of 5%, meaning the actual resistance could range from 95 ohms to 105 ohms. When measured with a multimeter, this resistor read 98.2 ohms, which is within the tolerance range.
If you need more precision, you can use resistors with a smaller tolerance, such as a 1% tolerance five-band type. In this case, the first three stripes represent the digits, the fourth is the multiplier, and the fifth is the tolerance. For example, a resistor with orange, orange, black, black, and brown bands indicates values of 3, 3, and 0, with a multiplier of 1, resulting in 330 ohms. The tolerance is 1%, so the actual resistance could range from 327 ohms to 333 ohms. When measured, this resistor read 329.9 ohms, which is very precise.
That’s it for this lesson! To continue learning about electronics and electrical engineering, explore more resources and videos. Keep experimenting and have fun with your projects!
Gather a set of resistors and a multimeter. Connect two or more resistors in series and measure the total resistance using the multimeter. Compare your measured value with the calculated total resistance by adding the resistor values. This will help you understand how resistors add up in series.
Using the formula for parallel resistors, calculate the equivalent resistance for different combinations of resistors. Verify your calculations by measuring the resistance with a multimeter. This activity will reinforce your understanding of how resistors behave in parallel.
Create flashcards with different resistor color codes and their corresponding values. Test yourself or a classmate by identifying the resistance value based on the color bands. This will help you quickly determine resistor values in practical scenarios.
Challenge yourself to design a circuit that achieves a specific resistance using available resistors. You can use a combination of series and parallel connections. This will enhance your problem-solving skills and understanding of resistor networks.
Find a five-band resistor and calculate its resistance using the color code. Measure the resistance with a multimeter and compare it to the calculated value. This activity will help you appreciate the precision of five-band resistors and their applications.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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When working with circuits, we often find that the resistor value we’ve calculated doesn’t exist or we simply don’t have it in stock. To achieve the desired value, we can combine resistors. For example, if we need a 200-ohm resistor, we could connect two 100-ohm resistors in series, or we could use two 50-ohm resistors along with a 100-ohm resistor. The resistor values add together in series, making it easy to increase the total resistance.
To reduce the resistor value, we can connect them in parallel. We then perform some calculations to find the equivalent resistance. For instance, if we have two 10-ohm resistors, we can calculate the equivalent resistance using a specific formula. This process is straightforward; we input the values into a calculator, which shows us that the equivalent resistance is 5 ohms. Therefore, two 5-ohm resistors will give us a total resistance of 2.5 ohms. A 200-ohm resistor combined with a 50-ohm resistor will yield 40 ohms of resistance, and three 10-ohm resistors will provide 3.33 ohms of resistance.
To determine the value of a resistor, we can refer to the colored stripes on its body, which indicate the value. We typically encounter four or five band resistors. In a four-band resistor, the first two stripes represent the digits, the third stripe is the multiplier, and the fourth stripe indicates the tolerance. For example, a resistor with brown, black, brown, and gold bands corresponds to the values: 1 (first band), 0 (second band), and a multiplier of 10, resulting in 100 ohms. The gold band indicates a tolerance of 5%, meaning the actual resistance could range from 95 ohms to 105 ohms. When measured with a multimeter, this resistor read 98.2 ohms, which is within the tolerance range.
If we require more precision, we can use resistors with a smaller tolerance, such as a 1% tolerance five-band type. In this case, the first three stripes represent the digits, the fourth is the multiplier, and the fifth is the tolerance. For example, a resistor with orange, orange, black, black, and brown bands indicates values of 3, 3, and 0, with a multiplier of 1, resulting in 330 ohms. The tolerance is 1%, so the actual resistance could range from 327 ohms to 333 ohms. When measured, this resistor read 329.9 ohms, which is very precise.
That’s it for this video! To continue learning about electronics and electrical engineering, check out one of the videos on screen now. I’ll see you in the next lesson. Don’t forget to follow us on social media and visit theengineeringmindset.com.
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This version maintains the essential information while removing any informal language and ensuring clarity.
Resistor – A component used in electrical circuits to limit the flow of electric current. – Example sentence: The engineer used a resistor to control the current flowing through the circuit.
Resistance – The opposition that a substance offers to the flow of electric current. – Example sentence: The resistance of the wire increased as its temperature rose.
Parallel – A type of circuit configuration where components are connected across common points, providing multiple paths for the current. – Example sentence: In a parallel circuit, if one bulb burns out, the others will still work.
Series – A type of circuit configuration where components are connected end-to-end, providing a single path for the current. – Example sentence: In a series circuit, if one component fails, the entire circuit stops working.
Tolerance – The permissible limit of variation in a physical property or dimension of a component. – Example sentence: The resistor’s tolerance indicates how much its resistance can vary from the stated value.
Value – The numerical quantity assigned to a component, such as resistance in ohms for a resistor. – Example sentence: The resistor had a value of 100 ohms, which was perfect for the circuit design.
Precision – The degree to which repeated measurements under unchanged conditions show the same results. – Example sentence: The precision of the measuring instrument was crucial for the experiment’s success.
Formula – A mathematical equation used to calculate values in physics and engineering. – Example sentence: The students used the formula V = IR to calculate the voltage across the resistor.
Color – In electronics, colors are used on resistors to indicate their resistance values through a color code. – Example sentence: By reading the color bands on the resistor, the student determined its resistance to be 470 ohms.
Circuits – Complete paths through which electric current can flow. – Example sentence: The teacher explained how circuits are used to power electronic devices.
