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resistance
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Resistance
Resistance and reactance are terms from physics which are part of the complex
field of materials and their effects on electricity. However, in reality,
resistance and reactance are easy to understand.
Resistance is the ratio of electrical potential (voltage) to the current
in a material. Simply put, a material with high resistance requires a high
potential to generate a given amount of current in the material. A material
with low resistance requires a low potential to generate the same amount
of current.
Perhaps the easiest way to think about this is to say that a material with
low resistance conducts well, while a material with high resistance conducts
poorly.
Steel, which conducts well, is said to have low resistance. Wood which
conducts poorly, is said to have high resistance. Because of its electrolyte
(charged ion) content, salt water conducts well and has low resistance,
while pure water conducts poorly and is said to have high resistance.
When a material is conducting, it releases energy in the form of heat.
Therefore, the resistance of a material is related to the material's ability
to dissipate energy. Units of resistance are called ohms.
In the human body, low resistance is associated with large
amounts of lean body weight (or fat-free mass). High resistance
is associated with smaller amounts of lean body weight.
 Why
is this the case?
The primary conductor in the human body is ionized water. As the percentage
of body weight that is water increases, the conductivity of the body increases.
Since body water is contained solely within lean body weight, the conductivity
of the body is proportional to the amount of lean body weight.
How is resistance measured?
A small current is applied through the body. The potential required to
generate the current is measured. The ratio of potential and current along
with a process called correlation and integration are used to determine
the resistance and reactance respectively.
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