How does Ohm's law connect voltage, current, and resistance?

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Ohm’s law describes the fundamental relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R) in an electric circuit. It states that for many materials, the current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to the potential difference (voltage) across it and inversely proportional to its resistance.12

This relationship is expressed mathematically as:

  • V=IR: The voltage across a conductor equals the product of the current and the resistance.13
  • I=V/R: The current in a conductor equals the voltage divided by the resistance.1
  • R=V/I: The resistance is defined as the ratio of the voltage to the current.14

In this context, resistance represents the opposition to the flow of electric current, often resulting in the transformation of electric energy into heat. When voltage is held constant, increasing resistance will decrease the current, while decreasing resistance will increase it.41