Ohm's law
MCAT glossary · Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Definition
V = IR; power P = IV = I^2R = V^2/R; resistors in series add, in parallel: 1/Req = sum(1/Ri).
Ohm's law in plain English
Ohm's law is the basic rule for how electricity flows through a wire. Think of it like water in a hose: voltage V is the push (the water pressure), current I is how much flows, and resistance R is how much the hose fights the flow. The rule is simply V = IR — more push means more flow, more resistance means less flow. Power (energy used per second, like how hot a device runs) is P = IV, and stringing resistors in a line adds them up, while wiring them side-by-side gives more paths so the total resistance actually drops (1/R_eq = sum 1/R_i).
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