Does Ohm's Law still apply when the total number of Amps is limited?

AI Thread Summary
Ohm's Law, expressed as I = V/R, remains applicable even when the total number of amps is limited. However, if there are insufficient charge carriers, the current may not sustain itself at high voltage levels. The discussion highlights that a depletion of charge carriers will lead to a gradual decline in current rather than an immediate drop to zero. This interplay between voltage, resistance, and charge availability clarifies the conditions under which Ohm's Law holds true. Ultimately, the availability of charge carriers is crucial for maintaining high voltage and current levels.
Simfish
Gold Member
Messages
811
Reaction score
2
As in, what if you have a VERY high voltage? Then I = V/R.

But what if you only have a limited number of charge carriers that could eventually run out? Then what will happen to the current? Will it suddenly stop following Ohm's Law? Will it immediately drop off to 0, or gradually drop off to 0?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
You can't have high voltage without enough charge being separated, so when you run out of charge carriers, you run out of high voltage as well.
 
Oh okay. That resolves the conundrum!
 
I was using the Smith chart to determine the input impedance of a transmission line that has a reflection from the load. One can do this if one knows the characteristic impedance Zo, the degree of mismatch of the load ZL and the length of the transmission line in wavelengths. However, my question is: Consider the input impedance of a wave which appears back at the source after reflection from the load and has traveled for some fraction of a wavelength. The impedance of this wave as it...
Back
Top