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Electrical Resistance

Last updated: October 16, 2018

What Does Electrical Resistance Mean?

Electrical resistance is the opposition to current within a circuit. Electrical resistance explains the relationship between voltage and current.

The property of electrical resistance has important applications in electrical and electronic devices. It is often utilized in probes used to monitor corrosion. Electrical resistance corrosion probes may be utilized in semiconducting yet as non-conductive environments like:

  • Oil
  • Gas
  • Atmosphere

One of the most common electronic strategies of monitoring corrosion is using the electrical resistance technique. This system involves measuring the modification in electrical resistance of a conducting part, and using this rate of change to calculate the corrosion rate.

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Corrosionpedia Explains Electrical Resistance

The electrical resistance of an electrical conductor is the opposition to the passage of an electric current through that conductor; the inverse amount is electrical conductance. The SI unit of electrical resistance is the ohm (O).

An object of uniform cross section includes a resistance proportional to its electric resistance and length and inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area. All materials show some resistance, aside from superconductors, which have a resistance of zero. An instrument for measuring resistance is an ohmmeter.

Variables affecting electrical resistance:

  • Total length – The longer the wire, the higher the resistance.
  • Cross-sectional area of the wires – Wider wires have a larger cross-sectional area. Once all other variables are constant, charge can flow at higher rates through wider wires with larger cross-sectional areas than through thinner wires.
  • Conductibility of a material – The conductibility of a material relies upon the material's electronic structure and its temperature. For most materials, electric resistance increases with increasing temperature.

The electrical resistance technique of corrosion observance is the most widely used technique and consists of determinative modification in resistance of a metal part as it corrodes in a process environment.

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