Why resistors burn

Cover Letter. Ben Davis February 28, What would cause a resistor to burn up? How do you tell if a resistor is burnt out? What happens when a resistor opens? Can I bypass a resistor? What happens when a resistor in parallel is shorted? Does a resistor get hotter or colder when more current passes through it? What happens when series circuit opens? Do resistors go bad? Previous Article Can I drive with broken exhaust pipe? This is due to the voltage attempting to force more current electrons through the resistor than it is designed to pass.

The resistor will be hot to touch and a faint whiff of burning may be detectable. The burning odor is the breaking down of the components of the resistor: the carbon, the clay binding agent and the color code pigment painted on the resistor.

When a resistor has been overloaded with voltage exceeding its power rating, the resistor will become very hot to touch, darken considerably and possibly even melt or catch on fire.

Although a resistor may appear damaged at this point, it can still be functioning. However, it may be functioning with less resistance than it was originally designed for. At this point, the resistor is unable to resist the flow of current forced through by the excessive voltage and the resistor breaks down.

When a resistor breaks down, current typically flows through the burnt resistor without any resistance and thereby passes unchecked. Other components in the circuit may become damaged from the excess current flowing through. Since , Timothy Boyer has worked as a freelance writer.

Boyer has a Ph. What Is a Flyback Diode? Viewed times. I assumed that a resistor results in an open circuit when it burns out. Some are even rated for this "flameproof" for safety. Thought experiment: 1 What is the resistance of m identical resistors in parallel? Higher or lower? Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Peter Green Peter Green Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Post as a guest Name. Email Required, but never shown.