What is the formula for electrical power in terms of voltage and resistance?

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Multiple Choice

What is the formula for electrical power in terms of voltage and resistance?

Explanation:
Power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred to a component. For a resistor, the current through it is I = V / R by Ohm’s law. The power delivered to that resistor is P = V × I. Substituting I gives P = V × (V / R) = V^2 / R. So, when you know the voltage across a component and its resistance, the power is P = V^2 / R. This also aligns with the other equivalent forms, like P = VI or P = I^2R, which are just different ways to write the same relationship using Ohm’s law. The form P = V^2 would not generally represent power, since it lacks the division by resistance.

Power is the rate at which electrical energy is transferred to a component. For a resistor, the current through it is I = V / R by Ohm’s law. The power delivered to that resistor is P = V × I. Substituting I gives P = V × (V / R) = V^2 / R. So, when you know the voltage across a component and its resistance, the power is P = V^2 / R. This also aligns with the other equivalent forms, like P = VI or P = I^2R, which are just different ways to write the same relationship using Ohm’s law. The form P = V^2 would not generally represent power, since it lacks the division by resistance.

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