(b) The term resistance is used to express any object or conductor used in circuit to develop resistance.

[Transcriber's note: At room temperatures, the thermal motion of ions in the conductor's crystal lattice scatters the electrons of the current.

Imperfections of the lattice contribute slightly. At low temperatures superconductivity (zero resistance) can occur because an energy gap between the electrons and the crystal lattice prevents any interaction.

At the time of this book, none of this was known. "Jumps from molecule to molecule" is a good guess.]

Resistance, Apparent.

Impedance; the virtual resistance of a circuit including the spurious resistance due to counter-electromotive force. It may be made up of true resistance and partly of an inductive reaction, as it represents the net factor, the entire obstruction to the pa.s.sage of a current, and not merely a superadded resistance or counter-electro-motive force.

Synonym--Impedance.

[Transcriber's note: Impedance can also have a component due to capacitance.]

Resistance, Asymmetrical.

Resistance which varies in amount in different directions through a conductor. It implies a compound or composite conductor such as the human system. The presence of counter-electro-motive force in different parts of a conductor may bring about asymmetrical resistance.

Resistance, B. A. Unit of.

The British a.s.sociation Ohm. (See Ohm, B. A.)

463 STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY.

Resistance Box.

A box filled with resistance coils. The coils are connected in series so that a circuit including any given number has their aggregate resistance added to its own. The terminals of consecutive coils are connected to short blocks of bra.s.s which are secured to the top of the box, lying flatwise upon it, nearly but not quite in contact with each other. Plugs of bra.s.s are supplied which can go in between pairs of blocks, which have a pair of grooves reamed out to receive them. Such plugs short circuit the coil below them when in position. The cut shows how such coils are connected and the use of plugs to short circuit them. The diagram shows the top of a Wheatstone bridge, q. v., resistance box with connections for determining resistances.

Fig. 291. RESISTANCE BOX.

Resistance Box, Sliding.

A resistance box whose coils are set in a circle. Two metal arms with handles are pivoted at the centre of the circle and by moving them around they make and break contacts so as to throw the coils in and out of circuit. The object is to permit an operator to adjust resistance without looking at the box--an essential in duplex telegraphy.

Resistance, Breguet Unit of.

The same in origin as the Digney Unit. (See Resistance, Digney Unit of.)

It is equal to 9.652 Legal Ohms.

Resistance, Carbon.

A resistance, a subst.i.tute for a resistance coil; it is made of carbon, and is of various construction. In the Brush dynamo regulator a set of four vertical piles of plates of retort carbon, q. v., is used as a resistance, whose resistance is made to vary by changing the pressure.

This pressure automatically increases as the current strength increases, thus reducing the resistance.

464 STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY.

Resistance Coil, Standard.

A standard or resistance issued by the Electric Standard Committee of Great Britain. The cut shows the standard ohm. It is formed either of German silver, or of an alloy of silver, 66.6 per cent. and platinum, 33.4 per cent. The wire is insulated and doubled before winding as described before. (See Coil, Resistance.) The two ends of the wire are soldered, each one to a heavy copper wire or rod r. The whole coil is enclosed in a bra.s.s case, and is enclosed with paraffine melted in at A.

A place for a thermometer is provided at t. By immersing the lower part of the case B in water of different degrees of heat any desired temperature can be attained.

Fig. 292. STANDARD OHM COIL.

Resistance, Combined.

The actual resistance of several parallel conductors starting from the same point and ending at the same point. If the individual resistance be a b c d .. and the combined resistance be x then we have x = 1 / (( 1/a) + (1/b) + (1/c) + (1/d) + ?)

Synonym--Joint Resistance.

Resistance, Critical.

In a series wound dynamo the resistance of the outer circuit above which the machine will refuse to excite itself.

Resistance, Dielectric.

The mechanical resistance of a dielectric to the tendency to perforation or to the strains due to electrification. This is a phase of mechanical resistance, and is distinct from the electrical or ohmic resistance of the same substance.

Resistance, Digney Unit of.

The resistance of an iron wire, 1 kilometer long, 4 millimeters diameter, temperature unknown.

It is equal to 9.163 legal ohms.

Resistance, Electrolytic.

The resistance of an electrolyte to the pa.s.sage of a current decomposing it. It is almost entirely due to electrolysis and is added to by counter- electro-motive force, yet it is not treated specifically as such, but as an actual resistance. When a current of a circuit of too low voltage to decompose an electrolyte is caused by way of immersed terminals to pa.s.s through an electrolyte the resistance appears very high and sometimes almost infinite. If the voltage is increased until the electrolyte is decomposed the resistance suddenly drops, and what should be termed electrolytic resistance, far lower than the true resistance, appears.

465 STANDARD ELECTRICAL DICTIONARY.

Resistance, English Absolute or Foot-Second Unit of.

A unit based on the foot and second. It is equal to (( foot / second ) *

1E7) , being based on these dimensions.

It is equal to 0.30140 legal ohm.

Resistance, Equivalent.

A resistance equivalent to other resistances, which may include counter-electro-motive force.

Resistance, Essential.

The resistance of the generator in an electric circuit; the same as internal resistance.