Science Common Sense

1358 - How does energy dissipate in the form of heat when electric current passes through an object with resistance.

Imagine water flowing through a narrow hose. The water (electric current) tries to move through the hose (object with resistance), but the hose is too small, so it gets slower and harder to flow.

When electric current flows through an object with resistance, like a wire or a light bulb, it's like the water in the hose. The current tries to move, but the object resists, making it harder. This resistance creates friction, just like when the water in the hose bumps into the sides of the hose.

The friction makes the tiny particles in the object (like atoms) vibrate more and more. These vibrating particles transfer their extra energy to the air around them as heat. This is called heat dissipation, and it's why objects with resistance can get warm or hot when electric current flows through them.

For example, when you plug a light bulb into a socket, the electric current flows through the bulb, which has resistance. The resistance creates friction, making the particles in the bulb vibrate and transfer their energy as heat. That's why light bulbs get hot, but they also give off light, which is a different form of energy.