Electrical resistances?

Question

Is "resistance" used in "electrical resistance" uncountable?
Are these expressions correct?
1. We checked the resistance of iron and nickel.
2. We checked the resistances of iron and nickel.
3. We checked the resistance values of iron and nickel.
Or should I say, "We checked the resistance of iron and that of nickel"?
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Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

All of those sound to me like normal statements.

Clive

Avangi · Answer

SnappyIs "resistance" used in "electrical resistance" uncountable?

Yes.

Dimsumexpress · Answer

This is something right up my alley. I will say this:

1. We checked the resistance of iron and nickel. - Grammatically sound, but electrically metals practically have no resistence to speak of. So I find this sentence a bit strange.

2. We checked the resistances of iron and nickel. Typically, in electrical circuit reference, only singular is used, and "resistence" is a collective noun. Plural may be possible in other context.

3. We checked the resistance values of iron and nickel. - Ohm is a unit of measure in electrical resistence which is understood and therefore "value" is not needed.

When we speak of metal in reference to electricity, we usually think of conductivity, which is sort of the opposite of resistence.

Avangi · Answer

dimsumexpress2. We checked the resistances of iron and nickel.

Surely these can be measured. **

I'd use singular in casual conversation, but plural in written work. I think the issue has more to do with grammar than with the conventions of a community.

I'd treat "price/prices" the same way: "We checked the price of several TV's" is fine for casual conversation, but I wouldn't consider it formally correct. I may be wrong.

dimsumexpress"resistence" is a collective noun

Are you sure about that? - A.

**
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/tables/elecon.html

From the table you can see that the difference in resistance between the specified metals (Fe & Ni) is more significant than the difference in conductivity.

9.8 / 5.8 vs 102 / 172

Edit.Well, I'm sorry. Those both come out to 1.4 - I should have checked!

Actually, I should have know they'd be the same. As you say, they're two sides of the same coin.

Dimsumexpress · Answer

Hi Avangi,
Of course anything can be measured. But if you are leaning against a raw iron railing when a 100,000.00 volts of lightening bold strikes, a few of Ohm's of resistence will not save you. That's what I meant when I said " they practically have no resistence to speak of." Remember, we are discussing electrical matter.

Resistence of a circuit is always referred to as singular matter in all the years I worked in the electro-mechanical industry. I understand "resistence" has many connotations, and my comments were based on the topic question.

I still hold my stand on the singularity of "resistence" in the electrical context. And I made it clear that there may be other plural contexts where "resistences" is deemed grammatically logical.

Avangi · Answer

dimsumexpressResistence of a circuit is always referred to as singular matter

I wouldn't exactly call a bar of iron or a bar of nickel a circuit.

We checked the resistance of iron and the resistance of nickel. That's two resistances - two different values.

I'd probably say, "We checked the continuity of circuit A and circuit B." (singular)
But this is a "yes or no" deal.

I checked the pressure in my tires. (singular) Again, this is a "yes or no" deal. Is it okay or not?

It would not be incorrect to say, "I checked the pressures in my tires," but nobody would.

I take "checked" in the OP to mean "determined." We determined the resistances of iron and nickel.
OR We measured the resistances of iron and nickel. I think this is an important difference.

As I said, the singular is fine for casual conversation. I'd even accept "We compared the resistance of iron and nickel." But I don't think it's proper formal speech.

Best wishes, - A.

I dunno. I'm starting to weaken. "I recorded the height of every student in the room." Maybe.
But it still seems casual.
If I were writing for formal use, personally, I'd use "heights."

Dimsumexpress · Answer

Sorry to make a length discussion, but I have a lightly different take.

If you would do a check on "resistences" vs "resistence", the hits paint a pretty clear picture that the plural usage is apparently not that great. In electronics, resistence determines how much electrons can flow through a given branch of a bigger circuit, such as a plasma screen. But whether it is "continuity" or " resistence" it's alway written and referred to as a singular noun.

If my interpretation is accurate, You used "determined" to mean " find out" which is the same as "to measure" in the electrical sense.

When we are making reference of tire pressure, it would be incorrect to use pressures, referring to the individual air pressure in the tires, if we want to be picky about it. For a P215/65R16 tire , the recommended pressure is 35 psi. All 4 tires should have this air pressure in them. So this pressure refers to the spec pressure , not the pressure in the tires.

Clive · Answer

Hi,,

It's resistance.

Clive

Dimsumexpress · Answer

For some reason, I can't seem to keep the "e" and "a" straight in existence, resistance, insistence, assistanceIt's one of those hung-ups that kill me!

Avangi · Answer

I had to check it myself.  <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/5.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/5.gif' alt='Emotion: wink'/>

Electrical resistances?

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