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Understanding Ohm's Law

Ohm's Law describes the relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R) in an electrical circuit. It states that the current flowing through a conductor between two points is directly proportional to the voltage across the two points and inversely proportional to the resistance between them. The law is typically expressed in three forms: V = I × R, I = V / R, and R = V / I.

The law is named after the German physicist Georg Ohm, who published his findings in 1827 based on experiments with electrical circuits. While initially met with skepticism, Ohm's work was eventually recognized as a fundamental principle of electricity. Voltage (measured in Volts, V) represents electrical potential difference, Current (measured in Amperes or Amps, A) represents the flow rate of electric charge, and Resistance (measured in Ohms, Ω) represents the opposition to current flow.

Ohm's Law is a cornerstone of electrical engineering and electronics. It's used constantly to analyze and design circuits, calculate component values, determine power dissipation (P = V × I = I² × R = V² / R), and troubleshoot electrical systems. This calculator allows you to easily find any one of the three variables (V, I, or R) if the other two are known.