Is a filament lamp an ohmic device?

In summary, metallic and nonmetallic resistors are categorized as ohmic devices because they obey Ohm's Law within certain limits of voltage and current. However, a filament lamp, while still following Ohm's Law, is often considered non-Ohmic because its resistance changes with temperature. This may cause issues in circuitry where a constant resistance is needed.
  • #1
Mo
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From wikipedia:

Metallic and nonmetallic resistors are called ohmic devices, because they obey Ohm's Law, at least within certain limits of voltage and current

A filament lamp obeys ohms law within certain limits of voltage and current so does that mean it is an ohmic device?

Also from wikipedia:

A light bulb is an example of a non-Ohmic device because the current flow heats the bulb, and its resistance depends on temperature.

Sounds reasonable as well.

Im inclined to believe the second quote since there are only a few values that the filament lamp will be ohmic where as there are a lot more it won't.

Would appreciate a definite answer though :redface: :smile:
 
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  • #2
The filament obeys Ohms law at any particular instant in time. It is true that the resistance increases as the filament heats up, but at any particular instant in time, V=IR. I don't necessarily agree with the way wikipedia labels the filament non-Ohmic. That's a little misleading. But then again, I've never heard the term "Ohmic" before either.
 
  • #3
I think it is just a matter of definition. Some definitions of Ohm's law are confusing. Some books say it is an ohmic device if it follows ohms law and has a constant resistance. Still V=IR it is just that R changes.

Suppose we had some a battery with emf of V. There is a resistor with R. Then the power would be:
[tex]P=Vi=\frac{V^2}{R}[/tex]

The result of a changing resistance is a changing power. I mentioned power because for non-ohmic devices the power change could mess with circuitry. I mean we turn something on, it has one power and after it heats up it has another. For some situations that could mess stuff up and since the resistance changes infetismally with temperature it doens't have constant resistance. The changing R by some definitions means that is isn't an ohmic device.
 

1. Is a filament lamp an ohmic device?

Yes, a filament lamp is an ohmic device.

2. What is an ohmic device?

An ohmic device is a type of electrical component that follows Ohm's Law, which states that the voltage across the device is directly proportional to the current flowing through it, at a constant temperature.

3. How does a filament lamp work?

A filament lamp works by passing an electric current through a thin wire filament, which is usually made of tungsten. The filament heats up and emits light, producing the glow that we see in a light bulb.

4. Are there any limitations to the ohmic behavior of a filament lamp?

Yes, there are limitations to the ohmic behavior of a filament lamp. As the temperature of the filament increases, its resistance also increases, deviating from the linear relationship predicted by Ohm's Law.

5. Can a filament lamp ever be considered non-ohmic?

Yes, under certain conditions, a filament lamp can exhibit non-ohmic behavior. This can happen when the temperature of the filament is very high, causing its resistance to increase significantly and deviate from the linear relationship with voltage. Additionally, if the voltage applied to the lamp is very high, it can cause the filament to melt, resulting in a sudden and drastic increase in resistance.

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