In electronics and electrical engineering, resistance refers to the opposition that a material or component offers to the flow of electric current. There are two main types of resistance: static resistance and dynamic resistance. Let's explore the difference between the two:
Static Resistance:
Static resistance, often simply referred to as "resistance," is the most commonly known and used type of resistance. It is a constant value that describes the relationship between voltage (V) and current (I) in an electric circuit, as described by Ohm's Law: V = I * R. Here, R represents static resistance, measured in ohms (Ω).
Static resistance remains constant regardless of the voltage or current levels in the circuit. In other words, as long as the temperature and other physical conditions of the component remain unchanged, the static resistance value remains the same. For most passive electronic components like resistors and conductors, static resistance is the primary characteristic used to define their behavior in a circuit.
Dynamic Resistance:
Dynamic resistance, on the other hand, is a concept used to describe the time-varying resistance of certain components, particularly non-linear devices. It is not a constant value like static resistance but a changing value that depends on the operating conditions of the component or the applied voltage/current.
Dynamic resistance is often used to approximate the resistance of a non-linear component around a specific operating point. It can be thought of as the local slope of the voltage-current curve at a particular point. Because the resistance of non-linear devices varies with voltage or current, dynamic resistance is a more suitable measure for these components' behavior in certain situations.
One common example of dynamic resistance is in semiconductor diodes. For a diode, the dynamic resistance is the small change in voltage across the diode divided by the corresponding change in current through it. Since the voltage-current relationship in a diode is non-linear, using dynamic resistance around a specific operating point provides a more accurate approximation of the device's behavior than using a constant static resistance.
In summary, static resistance is a constant value that describes the relationship between voltage and current in a circuit, while dynamic resistance refers to the time-varying resistance of certain components, especially non-linear devices, around a specific operating point.