Electrical Resistance and Conductance

electricity · physics · energy

Resistance blocks current. When electricity tries to flow through a material, resistance is like a force pushing back against it. The more resistance something has, the harder it is for electricity to move through it.

Like friction for electricity. Resistance works a lot like friction between two objects. Just like friction slows down a sliding object, resistance slows down the flow of electric current.

Measured in ohms. We measure resistance using a unit called the ohm, shown by the symbol Ω. A high number of ohms means more resistance, and a low number means less resistance.

Conductance is the opposite. Conductance measures how easily electricity flows, which is the opposite of resistance. If something has high conductance, electricity can zoom through it with hardly any trouble.

Conductance uses siemens. We measure conductance in units called siemens, shown by the symbol S. These two measurements are connected like opposites, so conductance equals one divided by resistance.