Understanding Resistance and Phasors for Non-Electrical Engineers

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Discussion Overview

The discussion focuses on the concepts of resistance and phasors, particularly in the context of electrical engineering for participants with a mechanical engineering background. It includes inquiries about bilateral and unilateral resistance, as well as resources for understanding phasors and sinusoidal quantities.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • A participant seeks clarification on the difference between bilateral and unilateral resistance and requests resources for understanding phasors and sinusoidal quantities.
  • Another participant suggests Wikipedia as a potential resource for phasors but admits unfamiliarity with the terms bilateral and unilateral resistance, asking for further context.
  • A third participant provides a link to a website focused on AC theory as a resource for understanding the topic.
  • A fourth participant defines a resistor in terms of the relationship between voltage and current, explaining that a bilateral resistor has a symmetrical characteristic curve, while noting that an ohmic resistor is bilateral and a diode is not.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion does not present a consensus on the definitions of bilateral and unilateral resistance, as some participants seek clarification while others provide definitions. Multiple viewpoints and resources are shared without resolution on the terms.

Contextual Notes

The discussion lacks detailed definitions of unilateral resistance and does not clarify the implications of the terms in practical applications. There is also no consensus on the best resources for understanding phasors.

girls4engineers
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Resistance and Phasors?

Hi I am a Mechanical engineer but I am taking a module in electrical, which isn't my strong point. Please can someone explain the differnce between bilateral and unilateral resistance and what is a good website to help me understand phasors and sinusoidal quantities.
Thanks x
 
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Probably wikipedia.org has some info on phasors. I'm not familiar with the terms bilateral and unilateral resistance. Can you provide some context for those terms?
 
Here's a good website for AC theory: http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/electricCircuits/AC/index.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You can define a resistor as a device in which voltage and current are related to each other at any instant. The relationship is called the characteristic of the resistor.
By this definition, an ohmic resistor, a diode or a voltage source can all be considered resistors.
A bilateral resistor is one whose characteristic curve is symmetrical in relation to the origin. An ohmic resistor is bilateral, a diode is not.
 

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