The power consumed by a resistor is calculated as And not only its temperature but also the temperature of components surrounding this resistor. This energy must be dissipated by the resistor without excessive raising its temperature. When an electric current passes through a resistor, it is heated and the electrical energy is converted into the thermal energy, which it dissipates. They were relatively expensive in the past, but not anymore.Ĭomparison of 0.1 W SMD resistors in 1608 (1.6 × 0.8 mm) packages with a 10 W 1 Ω ceramic resistor Power Dissipation 5% and 1% resistors are very common today. At the same time, it is hard to find 20% resistors today - they were common at the beginning of the transistor radio era. For some critical components, the tolerance can be specified as ☑% or even ☐.05%. For a 1 kilohm resistor, this means that any resistor with a value in the range of 800 ohms to 1200 ohms is acceptable. In many cases, ☒0% of precision is enough.

Here we will talk about inexpensive resistors used in electric circuits, which do not require high precision. There are very expensive resistors used for measurements. Besides, high precision resistors are relatively rarely used. Of course, it is possible to make a resistor with very precise resistance, however, it will be insanely expensive. More information about resistance, resistivity and conductance. Any material shows some resistance except superconductors, which have zero resistance. The electrical resistance of a resistor or an electrical conductor is a measure of the opposition to the flow of electric current.

Blue resistor color code