is a full load min or max resistance?

[panfilero]

If someone has a load that can be 10ohms up to 50ohms, and says to
figure something out at full load, is full load the larger or smaller
resistance value?

I'm thinking smaller, since with a constant voltage across it, the
smaller resistive load will dissipate more power...

this right?

 

[Rich Grise]

panfilero wrote:

If someone has a load that can be 10ohms up to 50ohms, and says to
figure something out at full load, is full load the larger or smaller
resistance value?

I'm thinking smaller, since with a constant voltage across it, the
smaller resistive load will dissipate more power...

this right?

Essentially, yes, although it can get a little more complicated than
that, but you'll learn that stuff along the way.

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2010-12-08, panfilero <panfilero@gmail.com> wrote:

If someone has a load that can be 10ohms up to 50ohms, and says to
figure something out at full load, is full load the larger or smaller
resistance value?

it depends what wort of power source it's connected to.
but usually maximum load is at the lowest resistance.

I'm thinking smaller, since with a constant voltage across it, the
smaller resistive load will dissipate more power...
this right?

yes for a constant (or near constant) voltage power source
this is the most common type.

--
⚂⚃ 100% natural

 

[whit3rd]

On Dec 7, 10:02 pm, panfilero <panfil...@gmail.com> wrote:

If someone has a load that can be 10ohms up to 50ohms, and says to
figure something out at full load, is full load the larger or smaller
resistance value?

I'm thinking smaller, since with a constant voltage across it, the
smaller resistive load will dissipate more power...

this right?

No. Full load usually means maximum power delivered.
If your source impedance is 1k ohms, maximum power is delivered
to a 1k ohm load.

"with constant voltage" is a special case, and indicates low
source impedance (but HOW low, might make a difference).

If your 'something' has very low output impedance, it'd be 10 ohms.
If it has very high output impedance, it'd be 50 ohms.
With an AC source with output impedance Z, the highest
power is delivered when the load impedance is the complex
conjugate of the source impedance.