Make the connection

Ohm’s law & power

Explore how voltage and resistance determine current and electrical power.

Ohm’s law & powerTRY IT YOURSELF
12 V100 ΩI = 0.12 AConventional current · schematic, not to scale
Current0.12 A
Power1.44 W
Voltage12 V
Resistance100 Ω
Teal + amber · follow the changing valuesIdealized physics model

What if you changed…

Try a starting point

YOUR NEXT AHA

Double the voltage. What happens to current? What happens to power?

See the calculation

V = IR · P = VI
  1. I = V/R = 12/100 = 0.12 A.
  2. P = VI = 12 × 0.12 = 1.44 W.

What this model assumes

Ideal DC voltage source and an ohmic resistor with constant resistance; wires have zero resistance.

Keep an eye on this

Real components have power ratings and may heat up; this educational model is not a circuit safety check.

Understand the physics ↗
A little question. A clearer picture.

Ohm’s law & power: common questions

Wondering about the why? Start here.

What happens when resistance increases?

At fixed voltage, current decreases because I = V/R. Power also decreases as V²/R.

Why is zero resistance not allowed?

An ideal source connected across zero resistance would demand an unbounded current. Real circuits have internal resistance and other limits.