Resistor Power Rating and the Power of Resistors
The power rating of resistors can vary a lot from less than one tenth of a watt to many hundreds of watts depending upon its size, construction and
Hence a 1/4th watt resistor must be used here. Using 1/8th watt resistor will damage the circuit. Resistors that are designed to handle high power are called power resistors. Resistors with power rating of at least 5W come under power resistors. The material used for construction of power resistors must be of high thermal conductive in nature.
These resistors can be rated up to 8 Kilo Amps. Power resistors are used as load resistors in turbines and Uninterruptible Power Supplies. They can be designed to provide adjustable resistance and can dissipate a power of up to 6 Mega Watts.
Resistors that are designed to handle high power are called power resistors. Resistors with power rating of at least 5W come under power resistors. The material used for construction of power resistors must be of high thermal conductive in nature. Power resistors often come with heat sink which helps them in dissipation of heat.
P = 5V × 0.05A = 0.25W With a safety factor of ×2: Use a 0.5-watt or preferably a 1-watt resistor. The resistor power rating is the maximum power a resistor can dissipate without overheating. Common ratings include: Always select a resistor with a power rating above the calculated dissipation to avoid thermal stress.
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