Regarding resistivity in heating coils

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between resistance and heat generation in heating elements, particularly in the context of a device designed to vaporize a liquid. Participants explore the implications of resistance on energy dissipation and heating rates within electrical circuits.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asserts that increasing resistance in a heating element leads to greater energy loss as heat, suggesting that higher resistance results in a hotter heating element.
  • Another participant counters that the heating rate is inversely related to resistance, indicating that lower resistance results in a higher heating rate for a fixed voltage.
  • A follow-up question seeks clarification on why higher resistance does not correspond to greater heat dissipation, highlighting confusion over the relationship between current flow and resistance.
  • One participant notes that excessive resistance limits current flow, which may contribute to lower heat generation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the relationship between resistance and heat generation, with no consensus reached on the correct interpretation of the underlying principles.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the assumptions regarding the circuit conditions, such as voltage levels and current flow, which may influence the heating behavior of the elements.

s3nka
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I have a question regarding "ohm level" in a heating element in the design of a device designed to vaporize a liquid.

I thought I had a pretty solid understanding of this but I've been told that I was wrong.

So, I thought that if you increase the resistance (higher ohm) in a heating element within a circuit you would also increase the amount of energy lost as heat which would also mean that the heating element would get hotter compared to a device with lower resistance (lower ohm).

Another designer told me that it's the other way around. The lower the "ohms" the hotter the heating element will become one the circuit is closed.

This makes absolutely no sense to me because in my understanding the larger the resistance the more energy is dissipated as heat and therefore the hotter the heating element becomes.

Could someone explain to me where I am making an error in my understanding?

Thank you ladies and gentlemen
 
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Hi s3nka. Welcome to physics forums.

The heating rate is E2/R, so, for fixed E, the heating rate increases with decreasing resistance.

Chet
 
Thanks for the quick response but I still don't quite understand why that if you have more resistance there isn't more electrical energy lost as heat and as a result more heat dissipated by the heating element (resistor)
 
Because if the resistance is too high, not very much current is flowing.
 

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