Unit 1 · What's going on? 6 minAge 8+
Resistance
Sometimes you want to slow electrons down. That's what resistance does.
Read first: Voltage and current
Imagine squeezing a garden hose while water is flowing. The tighter you squeeze, the less water comes out the other end — even though the pressure at the tap has not changed.
Electrons get squeezed too. A part called a resistor is the squeeze. The more resistance a circuit has, the less current can flow.
You make the resistor bigger (more squeeze) but keep the battery the same. What happens?
Now you understand…
- Resistance squeezes the electron flow.
- Measured in ohms (Ω).
- More resistance = less current, for the same voltage.
Electrons need somewhere to go. Time to close the loop.