Ohm’s Law Advanced Vaping Guide
Ohm's Law - Advanced Vaping Guide
In 1827, German physicist and mathematician Georg Ohm published a revolutionary paper explaining what we know now today as Ohm’s Law. Nearly two hundred years on, his ideas are in the forefront of many peoples’ minds, consciously or unconsciously! Whilst the term might bring back memories of school science lessons, Ohm’s Law is something that must be considered by more intermediate vapers who want to piece together their own vape mod.
Here at myCigara, we always put out customers first. That is why we have created this blog, a comprehensive guide on the equation. It looks at the reasoning behind it, clearly explains each component, takes you through a worked example and directly relates the maths to the vaping.
What is Ohm’s Law?
Ohm’s Law is an equation, meaning that it involves a bit of maths, but it is nothing to be afraid of. The nature of electricity, chemical or otherwise, means we do not immediately know everything about it but by moving this sum around and completing a series of mathematical operations (either multiplication or division), you will always be able to calculate the value you want.
In fact, it is often visualised as a triangle and this makes it even easier to remember. Using it for reference, you can see that to determine the current in your device, you would divide voltage by resistance or V=I/R, in more mathematical terms.
How is Ohm’s Law Used?
In order to power any vaping device, you need to have a safe amount of current, the appropriate level of voltage and just the right amount of resistance. Voltage and current work alongside eachother and resistance is added to the device to keep the two levels steady and prevent any sudden surges in energy. This electrical harmony (measured in Amps) means you can turn on your device and you can vape without worry.
As resistance is a manmade measure to keep us safe, it cannot adapt to the power it manages by itself. We need to be able to predict the level of power to create the correct level of resistance via battery limits or coils so we can turn on our vape device but also keep ourselves safe. That is where Ohm’s Law comes in.
What are the Three Forms of Ohm’s Law?
The three forms of Ohm’s Law are Current (I), Volts (V) and Ohms (Ω). They are often visualised together as a triangle and this makes it even easier to remember. Using it for reference, you can see that to determine the current in your device, you would divide voltage by resistance or V=I/R, in more mathematical terms.
Current (I)
It can be defined as a flow of electricity and is measured in Amps.The higher the Amps, the more the current flow.
Volts (V)
This unit records the difference (or pressure) of the current between two points in your device. The greater the voltage, the greater the current flow within your device.
Ohms (Ω)
This is the measure of a device’s resistance/how easily electricity can move through a device and it manifests in coils and battery limits.The higher the resistance, the more difficult it is for electricity to move around your vape kit.
How is Ohm’s Law Used?
In order to power any vaping device, you need to have a safe amount of current, the appropriate level of voltage and just the right amount of resistance. Voltage and current work alongside eachother and resistance is added to the device to keep the two levels steady and prevent any sudden surges in energy. This electrical harmony (measured in Amps) means you can turn on your device and you can vape without worry.
As resistance is a manmade measure to keep us safe, it cannot adapt to the power it manages by itself. We need to be able to predict the level of power to create the correct level of resistance via battery limits or coils so we can turn on our vape device but also keep ourselves safe. That is where Ohm’s Law comes in.
Why Does Wattage Matter?
Wattage is important to vapers because the amount produced affects the quality of each and every vape, from the temperature, hit level and e Liquid flavour. This is why some devices come with adjustable wattage settings, so vapers are completely in control of their experience.
How to Work out Ohm’s Law:
We will complete one example here. Your battery is 4.2 V and you have chosen a 0.5 Ohm coil for your device. You know the voltage and resistance; you just have to work out the current needed to power your kit. So, written mathematically:
I = 4.2 V/0.5
Ω4.2 V/0.5
Ω=8.4I = 8.4 A
This calculation shows that the current of your device will be 8.4 Amps and you can now check this current draw against your battery limit. If it is below, the device is safe to use, if it exceeds, you will have to adjust the resistance (by winding or unwinding your coil material) to decrease current flow, before you use the device.
Is Ohm’s Law a Universal Law?
Ohm’s Law is universal, meaning that it applies wherever you are in the world and with whatever vape kit. Whilst it remains one of the most important equations you will come across in vaping, you need to take it one step further when considering the battery. In the previous example, we calculated the current needed to power the kit, 8.4 Amps. This is still true; however, your battery will not use all of this energy at onetime, in one go.
Instead, it converts Amps to Watts (W), staggering its usage so it can keep the device going for longer. Wattage varies between devices because batteries last for different lengths of time and the amount of power a battery can provide in an hour is often stated on any battery you buy, measured in mAh. These terms are defined in the table below.
Watts (W)
The amount of electricity your device is actually using. Your device does not use all of its electricity at the same time; instead, it staggers its usage so it can keep going for longer.
mAh
This unit measures the amount of power a battery can provide the device in the amount of time specified. Batteries with a greater mAh are desirable as they mean that your device can run for longer.
How to Calculate Appliance Wattage:
We can use the Ohm’s Law triangle and our original example as the basis, by removing resistance (Ω), placing power (P) on top, thus shuffling the whole equation around:
P = V x IP = 4.2
V x 8.4 A4.2
V x 8.4 A = 35.3
P = 35.3 W
So, our example has shown us that a 4.2 V battery and a 0.5 Ohm vape coil will produce 8.4 A which is converted by the battery, delivering 35.3 W.
Ohm’s Law and myCigara:
Ohm’s Law is an exceptionally important rule that will ensure you create fantastic vapes whilst keeping yourself safe. If you want to know more about the world-class vape kits we sell, check out our other informative blog posts here. If you have any more questions regarding the law itself, feel free to drop us a message or locate your nearest store here.