What term denotes a material's opposition to the flow of electric current?

What term denotes a material's opposition to the flow of electric current?

• A. Inductance
• B. Capacitance
• C. Resistance
• D. Impedance

Answer: (C)

Opposition to the flow of electric current in a material is called resistance. As electrons move through a conductor, they collide with atoms and other obstacles, which makes it harder for the current to continue; this difficulty is what we measure as resistance. It’s summarized by Ohm’s law, V = IR, meaning the resistance is the voltage divided by the current. Resistance is measured in ohms, and for most conductors, it increases with temperature, causing more energy to be lost as heat. Inductance and capacitance describe other ways a circuit can oppose current: inductance resists changes in current due to magnetic fields, and capacitance stores and releases charge, affecting voltage. Impedance is the combination of resistance, inductive, and capacitive effects in an AC circuit. But when we talk about a material’s direct resistance to steady current, the term used is resistance.

Opposition to the flow of electric current in a material is called resistance. As electrons move through a conductor, they collide with atoms and other obstacles, which makes it harder for the current to continue; this difficulty is what we measure as resistance. It’s summarized by Ohm’s law, V = IR, meaning the resistance is the voltage divided by the current. Resistance is measured in ohms, and for most conductors, it increases with temperature, causing more energy to be lost as heat.

Inductance and capacitance describe other ways a circuit can oppose current: inductance resists changes in current due to magnetic fields, and capacitance stores and releases charge, affecting voltage. Impedance is the combination of resistance, inductive, and capacitive effects in an AC circuit. But when we talk about a material’s direct resistance to steady current, the term used is resistance.