Are Resisters a Necessity?

**dreamdigital** · 10-22-2009, 12:56 PM

My question is why use a resistor? What does it do exactly? Balance out the voltage?

**cardcollector** · 10-22-2009, 01:17 PM

Wow... um...
this should help

I think you may want to read more

**dreamdigital** · 10-22-2009, 01:44 PM

Thanks. Here at work so I got a little lazy I guess.

**Kant Lavar** · 10-22-2009, 04:11 PM

Laziness here really isn't an option. The general rule here - and I've been playing on and off with figuring out how we can announce this; giant red letters during the registration process somewhere, I think - is do some research! But the real answer to your question is that you always need something to regulate voltage from your batteries to your LEDs - be that a resistor or a controller board like an UltraSound.

But to help folks out when they're just beginning, there have been a few "start here" threads started, two of which are in my signature.

**FenderBender** · 10-22-2009, 07:06 PM

Not to be a monkey wrench in the gears of research here

...and you all know how I feel about spoons. So I will just say....

Yes, no, sometimes.

**astromech_kuhns** · 10-22-2009, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by cardcollector

Wow... um...
this should help

I think you may want to read more

mind me asking, how did you get google to do that? did they add a tcss newb researcher funtion?

any how a resistor limits the flow of current. if you have a LED that can only take 5 amps (example) you dont want to use a battery that puts out 10 amps cause that will blow it.

current and amps are the same thing. current is measured in amps. or the same to a extent.

so you would put a resistor in between to limit the current flow to 5 amps. how you find the right resistor to limit the amount you want? you have to use ohms law.

and if you dont know what a resistor is i am betting you dont know what ohms law is.

i may actually maybe just start a tutorial on this..............

but besides that, ohms law is what allows us to calculate resistance, voltage and current. the formulas are V=IxR and I=V/R and R=V/I

I= current
R=resistance
V=voltage

there ya go

something to start you off

**Jedi-Loreen** · 10-23-2009, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by astromech_kuhns

mind me asking, how did you get google to do that? did they add a tcss newb researcher funtion?

Ha ha, astro, you're funny.

**Thaxos** · 10-23-2009, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by dreamdigital

My question is why use a resistor? What does it do exactly? Balance out the voltage?

I suggest looking into and understand Ohm's law, it will be VERY helpful. It's the basis of electronics. If you have any questions on electronics stuff, you can always toss me a PM.